Singer Sona Mohapatra has found herself at the centre of an online backlash after her remarks about the iconic remix Kaanta Laga, following the sudden death of its star, Shefali Jariwala. Just a week after Shefali passed away at the age of 42, Sona took to Instagram to criticise the directors of the 2002 remix video, Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru, questioning their tribute and referring to their announcement of “retiring” the remix as “PR out of a death.”

In her Instagram Stories, Sona took a veiled dig at the duo without naming them, writing, “Three legends created Kaanta Laga: RD Burman, Majrooh Sultanpuri, and Lata Mangeshkar.” She continued, “This utterly misplaced ‘retirement’ by people calling themselves ‘makers’ to get some PR out of a death… Viral B is a paid site largely,” referencing the paparazzo account Viral Bhayani, which reported the directors’ tribute.

Sona further dismissed the video that brought Shefali fame, stating, “These two only created a smutty video with a remix with a 19-year-old (of course no permission from legends required for their xx interpretation). RIP and all for the 42-year-old lady but legacy???”

 

Her decision to not even name Shefali and call her simply “the 42-year-old lady” did not sit well with many. One Reddit post titled “Let her die peacefully Sona…” criticised the singer for what users called “targeted hate” and insensitivity. “This woman is always salty about something, especially things that don’t concern her,” one user wrote. Another added, “Being jealous of a dead person is a new low.”

Many also pointed out the irony of Sona criticising remix videos, noting that she herself sang the remix Kabhi Aar Kabhi Paar, which featured Deepal Shaw in a similarly bold music video. “What is this hypocrisy, madam?” questioned one Redditor.

Shefali Jariwala died of a suspected cardiac arrest last week in Mumbai. Known widely as the Kaanta Laga girl, she shot to fame in 2002 and became a household name. She later appeared in shows like Bigg Boss and Nach Baliye and was admired for how openly she spoke about her struggles, including living with epilepsy. Her death prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes across the entertainment industry.