Shefali Jariwala's 'Kaanta Laga' lands in controversy as singer Sona Mohapatra calls it 'a smutty video'
Sona Mohapatra
has found herself at the center of a social media storm after posting a critical message on Instagram in the wake of
Shefali Jariwala
's death. In her post, Mohapatra expressed displeasure at director duo Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru's statement "retiring" the 2002 remix of
Kaanta Laga
, which featured Jariwala. She questioned their authority to make such a declaration and criticised the nature of the music video that made Shefali famous.
Sona Questions Remix Ownership
According to Sona, the true creators of Kaanta Laga were legendary composer R.D. Burman, lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri, and singer Lata Mangeshkar, who brought the original track to life in the 1972 film Samadhi. She accused Rao and Sapru of using Shefali's death for publicity and dismissed the remix as a "smutty" reinterpretation made without the consent of the original creators.
Referring to the 2002 remix video as "a smutty video with a 19-year-old," she acknowledged Jariwala's passing but framed it as a footnote rather than a tribute, writing, 'RIP and all for the 42-year-old lady, but legacy?'
Sona Mohapatra's Instagram Story
Internet Reacts Strongly to Tone and Timing
The internet, especially Reddit users, reacted strongly to Mohapatra's post, with many accusing her of being insensitive and disrespectful. One user commented that the post lacked compassion and questioned why Sona refused to even mention Shefali's name. Others highlighted the inappropriateness of criticising someone who had just passed and could no longer respond to such remarks.
Some fans pointed out the irony that Mohapatra had herself been part of similarly stylized remixes, such as Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar, which featured a provocative video starring Deepal Shaw. This led to accusations of hypocrisy from commenters, who noted the similarity in both the style and tone of the videos.
Following Jariwala's sudden demise due to cardiac arrest, directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru paid tribute to her by announcing that they would never make a sequel to Kaanta Laga. They credited Shefali for owning the identity of the 'Kaanta Laga girl' and stated that the song belonged to her legacy. Their message aimed to honor her contribution to pop culture and expressed that she would remain the face of that iconic moment.
Shefali's Rise and Untimely Demise
Shefali Jariwala rose to fame with the Kaanta Laga remix, which became a cultural phenomenon in the early 2000s. Despite appearing in only a handful of projects afterward—largely due to her struggle with epilepsy—she remained a recognizable face in Indian pop culture, with appearances on television shows like Bigg Boss and Nach Baliye. She died at the age of 42, reportedly due to cardiac arrest at her Mumbai home.
While Mohapatra's intent may have been to spotlight the contributions of original artists, the lack of empathy in her tone and the timing of her remarks have overshadowed that message. The conversation has now shifted from the song's legacy to the ethics of commentary following a public figure's death.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Krishen Khanna, painter of bandwallas, turns 100: Modernist icon and India's greatest living artist celebrates a century
When he came out of the ritzy bank office on a balmy November afternoon in 1961 after serving out a six-month notice period, his friends were waiting outside. M F Husain, Bal Chhabra and V S Gaitonde told Krishen Khanna they wanted to celebrate his "liberation". They did so in style at the Bombelli's restaurant in Mumbai's Churchgate and Chhabra presented him with a gold tie pin in the shape of a palette. Their other friends like S H Raza in Paris gathered whoever they could find to mark the moment the banker Khanna became a full-time artist. Celebrated artist Krishen Khanna turned 100 on July 5 creating a landmark in the history of Indian art.(Courtesy of Artiana) More than six decades later, his friends Husain, Chhabra, Gaitonde and Raza are no more, but the world of Indian art is together this time to celebrate yet another landmark in the life of Khanna---his 100th birthday. Master painter, elegant orator, lover of poetry, man of witticisms and a stickler for detail, Khanna is the most active of modernist painters India has ever seen. On July 5, he turned 100, etching a landmark in the history of Indian art. Khanna, who lives in Gurgaon, Haryana with his wife Renuka Chatterjee, 98, and son Karan Khanna, a well-known photographer, welcomed visitors who arrived at his home to offer him wishes. This weekend, several art galleries across the country have joined Khanna's fellow artists and art enthusiasts in celebrating the birth centenary of the greatest living Indian artist. Calling of canvas Born in Faisalabad, Pakistan in 1925, Khanna still wakes up everyday to the calling of the canvas, carrying on a creative spirit and energy that has built a grand repertoire of formidable works in a span of seven decades. Khanna's works are conversations between himself and the characters on his canvases, mostly people with aching bodies and minds. No other Indian artist has brought alive the beating of the hearts of the invisible workers, the real builders of the country, like Khanna has been doing. He has documented the workers of Delhi in such paintings as Black Truck (1974), a construction lorry filled with labourers. There are labourers sleeping under a truck in Nocturne (1979). In an untitled work from the '90s, a truck filled with workers is seen transporting metal pipes. At 100, Khanna continues a mission he began with fellow artists Raza, Husain, Gaitonde, Tyeb Mehta, F N Souza and Akbar Padamsee, all members of the Progressive Artists' Group, founded in 1947 to give a new direction to art in a newly independent nation. Khanna's deep bond with his friends and fellow artists is legendary. Husain would visit him at his Nizamuddin studio in Delhi where Khanna would paint while his famous friend kneeled down for the prayers two feet away. "It was beautiful," Khanna would recall later. Krishen Khanna's canvases and sculptures reveal the struggle and suffering of the workers and the poor.(Courtesy of Artiana) In Raza's Paris studio, Khanna would complete his friend's unfinished painting. When business tycoon Ness Wadia brought two paintings from him, he quickly introduced the millionaire to Chhabra, Padamsee and Gaitonde. Wadia happily obliged and bought from them too. The whole group commented on each other's works and there was plenty of gossips to go by. They were a closely-knit group. Each had a distinct style of practice. Yet they influenced each other with ideas. Khanna is the last surviving member of the group after Ram Kumar passed away in 2018 and Padamsee five years ago. Prolific and profound After leaving his job at the National Grindlays Bank - a long 14 years -- in Kanpur and Mumbai, Khanna has led a prolific professional career weaving his brush on small and large canvases for several decades. There were the Mahabharat series in the '80s and the Exodus series later that produced some of his most-remembered works. Even as he achieved dizzying heights in the art world, he has been rooted to the ground and dedicated forever to his family and friends. Born in Faisalabad, now in Pakistan, Khanna grew up in Lahore. He went to a public school, the Imperial Service College in Windsor, London, where he refused to go home for holidays, instead staying back to visit the National Gallery. He returned to Pakistan to enrol at the Government College, Lahore. After graduating in English Literature, he had a day job at a printing press and attended evening classes at the city's Mayo Art School. "I had to leave the press one day and never went back," he used to say years after the Partition uprooted his family and sent them hurtling to Shimla and later to Delhi. The bloody Partition left a deep scar in the mind of the young man, who would go on to reflect human struggle and suffering in his works for years to come. One of his paintings in the '70s is titled Maclagan Road, New Delhi, fusing the street near the iconic Anarkali Bazaar in Lahore with his adopted city of Delhi. Flight from Pakpattan, another painting of a chariot with passengers was his response to his family fleeing Pakistan with meagre belongings. Another, At the Railway Station, is about the long journey from Lahore that culminated at the railway station in Shimla. Street Quartet (Bandwallas), a 1988 oil on canvas by Krishen Khanna.(Courtesy of DAG) He sees Pakistan in the streets of Delhi. And he never grew old. Probably the Partition stopped time for him. The wars India fought with Pakistan and China left him distressed and he was always ready to join his friends in selling their works to contribute to the Indian Red Cross. Angry at India and Pakistan calling themselves enemies of each other, he believed that educated and reasonable people were few on both sides. Chaiwallas and dhabawallas Once he was settled in Delhi, Khanna began to paint the city' bandwallas, chaiwallas, dhabawallas and truck drivers and never stopped. There are scenes of baraat in the city's streets and evenings at dhabas in works like Ramu ka Dhaba (1979) and Bandwallas in a Tempo (1991). In an untitled work of 2011, angels are seen watching a baraat from above. Khanna has always made sure all his characters in his works retain their individuality. The author Khushwant Singh appears in one of his paintings on Delhi in the '60s. A bronze sculpture from the artist's Bandwallas series(Courtesy of Vadehra Art Gallery) The spirit of community continues to contribute to his works. In Memoriam, painted four years ago, he places himself and his artist friends inside a dhaba. Working in his studio in Delhi and later in Gurgaon, he would write letters to his friends and welcome them warmly whenever someone paid him a visit. Between discussions over the latest show at galleries in Mumbai, London, New York and Paris, his letters reveal his inimitable humour. When Raza once wrote to him that he was working long hours, Khanna retorted: "This sounds worse than banking." He paints every day and brushes away suggestions that he might be tired. Sometimes, he even steps out to see the massive mural he painted at the Maurya Sheraton hotel in Delhi. For Khanna, his over seven-and-half decades as an artist has been a breeze. "I never thought I would do so much work," he says. 'There is not a moment of dullness.' ALSO READ: Artwork not looking good on your walls? Expert reveals what's wrong, shares 5 tips to create visual harmony at home
India.com
41 minutes ago
- India.com
Vinod Khanna's actress broke all boundaries of boldness in one song, audiences were shocked, but it turned blockbuster hit, film was... her name is...
There's always been a certain poetic intensity to Raj Kapoor's cinema — but in 1978, he directed a film that stirred not just emotions but national headlines. That film was Satyam Shivam Sundaram, and while it became a box office blockbuster, it also earned notoriety for one unforgettable sequence. A legacy of cinema, a storm of controversy Casting his son Shashi Kapoor opposite the stunning Zeenat Aman, Raj Kapoor told a story that was visually rich — and unapologetically sensual. Zeenat played the character of Roopa, whose half-scarred face and full heart became the central emotional thread of the narrative. But the aesthetic boldness Kapoor brought to the screen had never been attempted at this level in Indian cinema. Costume clashes and cultural shock Zeenat's wardrobe in the film became the talk of the nation. Audiences weren't used to such skin-baring costumes, especially from mainstream actresses of the time. 'People lowered their gaze in theatres,' said critics who recalled the premiere. And yet, Zeenat carried the character with fierce confidence. The song that 'crossed all limits' The most debated moment came in the song 'Rang Mahal ke Das Darwaze…', filmed as a suhaag raat (wedding night) sequence. 'Raj Kapoor broke all boldness barriers in that scene,' said industry insiders. The visual styling — dimly lit but suggestive — created an uproar. 'She was almost shown nude,' many recalled. The scene, filled with intimate moments and suggestive visuals, remains etched in Bollywood folklore. Despite the backlash, the song — and the film — became instant favourites, both musically and theatrically. The pairing of Shashi Kapoor and Zeenat Aman was hailed as iconic. 'Zeenat simply lit up the screen,' wrote a 70s-era reviewer, 'and Shashi looked regal as the groom.' A blockbuster that still whispers Despite public outrage and moral debates, Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) was a commercial hit. The film's soundtrack, story, and visuals still inspire conversations — proving once again that Raj Kapoor knew exactly how to blend art, beauty, and shock.
Time of India
42 minutes ago
- Time of India
Uorfi Javed calls 'The Traitors' smarter than 'Bigg Boss'; says it's a game of strategy, not drama
Internet fame and actress Uorfi Javed was recently crowned as one of the winners of the reality show The Traitors , has opened up about her experience on the show and how it differed drastically from her brief stint on ' Bigg Boss OTT '. Calling 'The Traitors' a "pure class" show, Uorfi praised the format for prioritising strategy over drama. During an interview with IANS, Uorfi stated, "I didn't really see myself in Bigg Boss, since I left within a week. Bigg Boss is very different. The Traitors is a completely different game. In The Traitors, you have to use your brain." She also shared that while confrontations are natural in a reality show, her approach this time was to remain calm and calculated. "The goal on that show is to win, not to fight. The Traitors is pure class on Prime." The model-actress also revealed her subtle strategy that helped her make it to the finale and ultimately claim victory. "The Traitors was about manipulation, but I did it positively, appeared harmless, avoided confrontations, and maintained an innocent facade. That was my survival technique," she said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Laku keras kat Guardian! Umur 40-an pun tak perlu kolagen dah URUHIME MOMOKO Undo Uorfi was surprised from the unexpected trust she received from her fellow contestants, despite the bold and often controversial public image she carries. "Surprisingly, people trusted me," she shared. "They said I was influential and believed that whatever I suggested tended to happen. Even though I have a certain image, no one judged me harshly. People acted on instinct, and many actually relied on me." Uorfi won the show along with co-contestant Nikita Luther in a finale hosted by Karan Johar , outwitting both their fellow faithfuls, including actor Sudhanshu Pandey, and traitors Harsh Gujral and Purav Jha.
