Singer Sona Mohapatra has once again sparked a crucial conversation about gender representation in Bollywood music. At the MBI Festival of Letters held in Kerala, she used the popular song Zaalima from the 2017 film Raees to highlight how female voices are systematically sidelined in romantic and heartbreak tracks. The song, sung by Arijit Singh and Harshdeep Kaur, features actors Shah Rukh Khan and Mahira Khan. Mohapatra pointed out that although the song is labelled a duet, the male singer takes up the entire mukhra (verse) and antara (refrain), leaving only the closing chorus for the female vocalist.
"All those heartbreak songs in Bollywood are reserved for the men. Men have heartbreak; men in current times feel love. Because every time I was called to sing a duet, I somehow had the ending chorus. You must hear this song called Zaalima. It is Arijit [Singh]'s song, and I was called to sing that, and I was flabbergasted," she said during her talk. She elaborated further, questioning the structural imbalance: "Because the mukhra, antara, mukhra, antara... all of them were taken up by the man. It is not Arijit's fault; he is a great artist. But why does the female come in at the end? My question to Pritam was, 'Is the man making love to himself? What kind of a duet is this? Why do I come in at the end?'"
Mohapatra clarified that she was not blaming individual artists like Arijit Singh or composer Pritam but rather the industry's risk-averse system. She noted that Bollywood music has become formulaic, often prioritising male voices for major romantic and heartbreak narratives. This trend, she argued, has persisted for nearly two decades, leading to a severe underrepresentation of female singers in iconic romantic songs. She took to the comments section of her Instagram post to stress that the issue is about representation: "If an industry stops creating iconic female narratives, will it eventually stop creating iconic female stars? Who cares? Do we, India?"
The singer also shed light on the broader historical context. She stated, "The point isn't that women never sang heartbreak songs. The point is that Bollywood stopped writing enough of them. An industry that gives 80-90% of its biggest romantic and heartbreak narratives to male voices for nearly two decades should not be surprised when it struggles to produce female music stars of equal cultural scale. This is a conversation about systems, not victims. Count the songs. Then let's talk?"
The 'Zaalima' Case Study
Zaalima was composed by Pritam with lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The song was released as part of the Raees soundtrack and became immensely popular. However, its structure follows a pattern Mohapatra identifies as deeply problematic. In a typical duet, both singers share the verses and the chorus equally. But in Zaalima, Arijit Singh sings the entire first verse (mukhra) and the subsequent antara, while Harshdeep Kaur only appears in the final chorus—also sung by Arijit Singh. The female voice is reduced to a fleeting background element, reinforcing the idea that the woman's perspective is secondary to the man's emotional journey.
This is not an isolated case. Mohapatra cited several other examples where female singers are relegated to the last 30 seconds of a song or merely sing ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ in the background. She argued that the music industry has become so risk-averse that it defaults to male singers for any song about love, longing, or heartbreak. Female voices are reserved for item numbers, dance tracks, or devotional songs, she alleged.
Systemic Bias in Bollywood Music
The issue goes beyond individual songs. Mohapatra's criticism strikes at the heart of Bollywood's music production pipeline. The industry's decision-makers—composers, lyricists, and music directors—often assume that male voices are more suitable for conveying depth of emotion, especially pain and vulnerability. This assumption is rooted in patriarchal norms that associate masculinity with the expression of intense feelings, while femininity is often tied to passivity or joy. As a result, female playback singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan, and Mohapatra herself are frequently called upon to sing only the lighter, more decorative parts of a composition.
Historically, Bollywood had a more balanced representation. In the 1950s and 1960s, female singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, and Shamshad Begum sang lead in numerous romantic and heartbreak songs. Iconic tracks such as Lag Ja Gale (from the film Woh Kaun Thi?, 1964) and Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (from Mughal-e-Azam, 1960) placed female voices at the centre of emotional narratives. However, from the late 1990s onward, the paradigm shifted dramatically with the rise of male playback stars like Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, Sonu Nigam, and later Arijit Singh. The number of heartbreak songs sung by women began to dwindle.
Impact on Female Music Stars
Mohapatra's argument is not just about representation for its own sake; it has tangible consequences for the careers of female singers. If the industry stops producing iconic female-led heartbreak songs, it becomes harder for female singers to achieve the same level of stardom as their male counterparts. Arijit Singh, for instance, has become a household name largely because of his heartbreak anthems like Tum Hi Ho, Channa Mereya, and Gerua. No female singer in recent years has enjoyed a similar trajectory solely from romantic solos. The likes of Shreya Ghoshal and Sunidhi Chauhan have maintained their relevance by diversifying, but their repertoire of heartbreak songs remains comparatively small.
Furthermore, this imbalance affects the perception of women's emotions in popular culture. When men are the only ones allowed to sing about heartbreak, it subtly reinforces the stereotype that women's feelings are less significant or less worthy of artistic expression. Music has the power to shape societal attitudes, and Bollywood, as India's largest film industry, wields immense influence. By failing to give equal narrative space to women, the industry perpetuates a lopsided view of love and loss.
Industry Reactions and Broader Context
Mohapatra's comments have reignited debates on social media. Many fans and industry insiders have supported her points, sharing instances of other songs where female voices are marginalised. Others have defended the current system, arguing that commercial considerations dictate song structures. However, Mohapatra dismisses this as a weak excuse: "If the industry can take risks with male singers like Arijit or Jubin Nautiyal, why can't they take the same risk with female singers? It's a matter of will."
The singer has been a vocal critic of Bollywood's gender biases for years. In 2022, she called out the Peddi song from the film Jugjugg Jeeyo for glorifying toxic masculinity. She wrote on social media: "Toxic masculinity is called romance in such films. We need to stop normalising stalking and control as love." Her consistent activism has made her a polarising figure, but she remains undeterred.
The MBI Festival of Letters, held in the cultural hub of Kerala, provided the perfect platform for her critique. Kerala has a long tradition of progressive thought and literary freedom, and Mohapatra acknowledged that protection: "Freedom of speech is something Kerala has protected so widely, so I am taking my chances here." Her speech was met with applause from the audience, many of whom shared similar experiences in other creative fields.
Possible Solutions and Moving Forward
To address this systemic issue, Mohapatra suggests that music directors and lyricists consciously create songs that place female voices at the centre. This does not mean eliminating male-led heartbreak songs but rather ensuring a more equitable distribution. She also advocates for more female composers and lyricists in the industry, as their perspectives might lead to different narrative choices. Currently, the number of female music composers in Bollywood is minuscule, with the likes of Shreya Ghoshal (who has composed for a few films) and Sneha Khanwalkar being rare exceptions.
Another solution lies in the hands of music labels and film producers. If they insist on including female-led romantic tracks in album line-ups, the demand would naturally increase for female singers to take on lead roles. Independent music platforms and regional music industries, such as those in South India, have been more progressive in this regard, offering a blueprint for Bollywood to follow.
Ultimately, Mohapatra's critique of Zaalima is a microcosm of a larger problem. The song may be just one example, but it represents hundreds of similar cases over the past two decades. For the industry to produce iconic female stars of the same cultural scale as male stars, it must first start writing songs that let women sing the heartbreak too. As Mohapatra said, "Count the songs. Then let's talk?" The numbers speak for themselves.
Source:MSN News