Sona Mohapatra backs Dhurandhar’s nine Grammy submissions

Sona Mohapatra has entered the Grammy conversation around Dhurandhar: The Revenge with a blunt defence of India’s music creators. After Shashwat Sachdev’s soundtrack was submitted for the 2027 Grammy Awards, social media filled with debate about Indian artists seeking Western approval. Sona’s counter: the problem is not the Grammys; it is an industry that still treats music as a support act.

The nine Grammy entries

The film’s music has been put forward across global, pop, dance and rap categories. The reported entries include:

• Full soundtrack — Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media
• ‘Kanhaiyya’ — Best Global Music Performance
• ‘Aari Aari’ — Best Asian Pop Music Performance
• ‘Phir Se’ — Best Song Written for Visual Media
• ‘Jaan Se Guzarte Hai’ — Best Global Music Performance
• ‘Jaiye Sajana’ — Pop Duo / Group Performance
• ‘Vaari Jaavan’ — Best Dance / Electronic Recording
• ‘Hum Pyaar Karne Wale’ — Best Remixed Recording
• ‘Destiny – Mann Atkeya’ — Best Rap Performance

What makes the list notable is its spread: the project is not being pushed in one world-music slot, but across pop, dance, rap and visual-media categories. Sona said she is happy for every Indian name in the race, from the band Agam to Hargun Kaur and Rashmeet Kaur, and wished them success as the world discovers the work.

Creators are “the least important people in a room”

In a video shared online, Sona asked why a country with one of the world’s richest musical traditions has to seek recognition elsewhere. She argued that music is “mostly treated like background score to somebody else’s importance,” and that even at a music launch the creators can be “the least important people in a room.”

Her critique takes in producers, award shows and promotional culture. Singers, lyricists and composers are often left out of a film’s promotion while comedians and influencers get more attention than the core crew, she said. “I have lived this comedy of errors first-hand,” she added.

Why this matters for filmi fans

This is not just an awards-season story. When a film’s music travels further than its stars, the creators deserve to be named, seen and celebrated. If the home industry does not create that space, recognition flows to institutions like the Grammys, which at least put craft at the centre.

Sona ended on a hopeful note: she wants an India where classical, folk, independent, experimental, regional, indie and film music all have a credible platform of their own. For fans, the small move is to check who composed, wrote and sang the next song that stays with you — and say their names.

Source: The Times of India