New Delhi, May 1: Popular singer ‘Sona Mohapatra’ has alleged that she has been threatened by a Sufi group over her new music video, Tori Surat. The 41-year-old singer took to Twitter to inform the Mumbai Police about the threats that she received from the Madariya Sufi Foundation.
The track is a part Sona’s latest project called Lal Pari Mastani. The Sufi love song was penned by Ameer Khusrau for his beloved Nizammudin Auliya.
The singer added that the Sufi group has asked her to take down her video from all media platforms since it doesn’t conform with their norms of a “Sufi song”. Sona said that the group has called the music video, which has been cleared by the censor board, ‘vulgar’.
Dear @MumbaiPolice I have received a threatening notice from the Madariya Sufi Foundation to remove my music video Tori Surat from all communication mediums. They claim that the video is vulgar,will flare communal tensions.I need to know whom to write in my response to at ur end
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) April 30, 2018
She alleged after giving the notice, they did not wait for her response and sent her threats through email. She claimed the foundation stated that her other video that came out five years ago, too, was inappropriate.
The Sufi Madariya foundation has also called me a ‘regular offender’ & says that they find another five year old Video of me singing a Sufiana Kalam – Piya Se Naina on coke studio insulting Islam because I’m ‘dressed exposing my body’ & playing westernised music. @MumbaiPolice
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) April 30, 2018
She went on to write, “The Madariya foundation along with the agreement of the Nizamuddin Dargah have an issue with the description of my Tori Surat music video, “earthy incarnations of the feminine Divine” & with “a sleeveless dress and body exposing dancers”. Basically with everything woman & free.
The Madariya foundation along with the agreement of the Nizamuddin Dargah have an issue with the description of my Tori Surat music video, “earthy incarnations of the feminine Divine” & with “a sleeveless dress and body exposing dancers”. Basically with everything woman & free.
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) April 30, 2018
She further asked why women are expected to ‘cover up’ all the time and not allowed to sing and dance in public.
Dear @MumbaiPolice the Madariya Sufi foundation claims to work for Sufism,peace & universal brotherhood in their threatening notice to me. I ask you & #India ,what about the ‘sisterhood’?Why is it that in this day & age the women expected to cover up, not sing or dance in public
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) April 30, 2018
Mumbai Police was quick to respond to her complaint and asked her to give them her number to carry on the investigation. The singer thanked the police for their response.
We have followed you. Request you to inbox your number. We will look into this on priority.
— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) April 30, 2018
While Sona filed a written complaint with the Santacruz Police Station in Mumbai, she did not file an FIR.
The cops have promised to talk to the Sufi Madariya Foundation and take necessary action.
Madariya Sufi Foundation is a trust working to promote Sufism, peace, justice and human rights. The foundation focuses on research work of Sufi Saint Syed Badiuddin Zinda Shah Madar and his followers among others.
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