Singer Sona Mohapatra has stirred controversy for a recent Instagram Story referencing the iconic remix Kaanta Laga, just a week after the untimely death of its star, Shefali Jariwala. Many on the internet have called Sona’s remarks “insensitive” and poorly timed.
Sona’s Comments on ‘Kaanta Laga’
In the wake of Jariwala’s passing, directors Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, who helmed the 2002 remix video, said they would never create a sequel and that Shefali would forever remain the “Kaanta Laga girl.”
Without naming them directly, Sona took a swipe at their tribute, writing:
“Three legends created Kaanta Laga: RD Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri, and Lata Mangeshkar.”
She added that the recent tribute post was nothing more than an attempt to gain publicity from a tragedy:
“This utterly misplaced ‘retirement’ by people calling themselves ‘makers’ to get some PR out of a death, nothing less.”
Her comments appeared to reference a viral post shared by paparazzo Viral Bhayani. The original Kaanta Laga song was from the 1972 film Samadhi, later remixed by DJ Doll in 2002, with Shefali Jariwala featuring in its music video at the age of 19.
Online Outrage
Sona’s remarks quickly drew criticism across social media platforms, particularly Reddit. One thread titled “Let her die peacefully, Sona…” accused the singer of being disrespectful toward the late actress and questioned her motives.
Users were especially offended that Sona did not refer to Shefali by name, instead calling her “the 42-year-old lady” in her post. One Redditor commented:
“This is unnecessary and insensitive—especially if her family comes across it. Shefali proudly owned her work; she deserves more respect.”
Another pointed out the irony in Sona’s criticism:
“She sang the Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar remix, which had a similarly bold video. How is that any different? This is peak hypocrisy.”
Remembering Shefali Jariwala
Shefali Jariwala passed away last week after suffering a cardiac arrest at her Andheri home. She was 42. Rushed to the hospital by her husband Parag Tyagi and others, she was declared dead on arrival.
Shefali rose to fame in 2002 with Kaanta Laga, later appearing in Bigg Boss, Nach Baliye, and a few films. She had spoken publicly about living with epilepsy, which led her to scale down her professional engagements.
