Sona Mohapatra Calls Out Bollywood’s ‘Male Monopoly’ on Heartbreak Songs, Questions Why Women Get Sidelined

Singer Sona Mohapatra has once again sparked a conversation about gender representation in Bollywood, this time turning her attention to the Hindi film music industry. The outspoken singer argued that some of Bollywood’s most iconic romantic and heartbreak songs are overwhelmingly centred around male voices, leaving little room for female singers to occupy the emotional core of mainstream narratives.

Speaking during a recent discussion, Sona claimed that heartbreak songs in Bollywood have effectively become “reserved for men.” According to her, the industry’s storytelling patterns have increasingly positioned men as the primary voices of love, longing and emotional vulnerability, while women are often relegated to supporting roles in the musical narrative.

To illustrate her point, Sona referred to the popular song Zaalima from the 2017 film Raees. The romantic track, composed by JAM8 and sung by Arijit Singh and Harshdeep Kaur, became one of the biggest hits of the year and remains a favourite among fans of Bollywood romance.

Sona revealed that she was surprised by the structure of the song when she first encountered it. According to her, the male voice dominates much of the composition, while the female contribution appears only towards the end. She recalled being puzzled by the arrangement and questioning why a romantic duet would provide so little space for the female perspective.

Importantly, the singer clarified that her criticism was not directed at Arijit Singh personally. She described him as a talented artist and stressed that the issue lies within the broader system rather than with individual performers. Instead, she questioned the creative choices that repeatedly place male voices at the centre of romantic storytelling while limiting opportunities for women singers.

The singer argued that the problem extends beyond individual songs. In her view, Bollywood has gradually stopped creating enough memorable female-led romantic and heartbreak tracks. As a result, women singers have fewer opportunities to build the kind of cultural connection and mass appeal that male playback singers often enjoy.

Continuing the conversation on social media, Sona elaborated on her concerns. She suggested that when an industry stops investing in strong female narratives, it eventually struggles to produce female stars with the same level of influence and visibility as their male counterparts. According to her, the issue is not about isolated examples but about long-term patterns within the industry.

Sona also pushed back against those who argued that women have sung heartbreak songs in the past. She maintained that her point was not that such songs never existed, but that the volume and prominence of female-centred romantic tracks have significantly declined over the past two decades. She encouraged people to look at the numbers and compare the representation of male and female voices in mainstream Bollywood music.

This is not the first time Sona has spoken about gender inequality in entertainment. Throughout her career, she has frequently criticised sexism, objectification and structural barriers faced by women in both the film and music industries. Her latest comments are consistent with her long-standing advocacy for greater representation and creative opportunities for women artists..

Whether one agrees with her argument or not, Sona’s comments have reignited a larger debate about who gets to tell stories of love and heartbreak in Bollywood. As the conversation continues online, her remarks have once again drawn attention to the evolving dynamics of representation in India’s music industry.