Sona Mohapatra is a famous Indian singer, music composer, and lyricist. As of August 31, 2025, she is widely known for her strong voice and unique style in music. Born on June 17, 1976, in Cuttack, Odisha, she has made a special place for herself in the Indian music world by singing songs in many languages.
Early Life and Education
Sona Mohapatra was born into a well-educated Odia Brahmin family. Her father worked as an officer in the Indian Navy, so her childhood was spent moving to many cities like Pune, Cochin, and Hyderabad. This gave her a disciplined life from a young age. She also enjoyed learning many skills such as horse riding and other sports.
From childhood, Sona and her two sisters trained in Indian classical singing. She loved music and performed on many stages as a young girl. For her formal education, she did a B.Tech degree in Instrumentation and Electronics Engineering from the College of Engineering and Technology in Bhubaneswar. After that, she earned an MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD in Pune. She initially worked as a brand manager at Marico, a big company in India, handling popular brands.
Sona Mohapatra Age, Height, Wikipedia, Biography, Education, Net Worth, Husband
Aspect Details Full Name Sona Mohapatra Nicknames Gudiya, Lalpari Mastani Date of Birth June 17, 1976 Birthplace Cuttack, Odisha, India Nationality Indian Religion Hinduism Parents Father: Dilip Mohapatra, Mother: Nayantara Mohapatra Siblings Two sisters: Madhumita and Pratichee Education B.Tech in Instrumentation & Electronics Engineering (College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)
MBA in Marketing (Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune) Early Career Brand manager at Marico (managed brands like Mediker and Parachute) Music Career Start Began with music for advertisements; famous for Tata Salt jingle and Close Up's song "Paas Aao Na" Debut Album "Sona" released in 2007 Notable Songs "Bedardi Raja" (Delhi Belly), "Ambarsariya" (Fukrey), "Mujhe Kya Bechega Rupaiya" (Satyamev Jayate) Musical Style Mix of Indian classical, rock, R&B, Flamenco, Baul, Romani, and Bollywood Husband Ram Sampath (Music Composer and Director) Marriage Year 2005 Residence Mumbai, Maharashtra Social Activism Vocal about women's rights and harassment issues in music industry Documentary "Shut Up Sona" about her life and career Distinction First Indian independent musician to debut on Billboard, Times Square, New York (2021)
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Sona Mohapatra |
| Nicknames | Gudiya, Lalpari Mastani |
| Date of Birth | June 17, 1976 |
| Birthplace | Cuttack, Odisha, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Parents | Father: Dilip Mohapatra, Mother: Nayantara Mohapatra |
| Siblings | Two sisters: Madhumita and Pratichee |
| Education | B.Tech in Instrumentation & Electronics Engineering (College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar) MBA in Marketing (Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune) |
| Early Career | Brand manager at Marico (managed brands like Mediker and Parachute) |
| Music Career Start | Began with music for advertisements; famous for Tata Salt jingle and Close Up's song "Paas Aao Na" |
| Debut Album | "Sona" released in 2007 |
| Notable Songs | "Bedardi Raja" (Delhi Belly), "Ambarsariya" (Fukrey), "Mujhe Kya Bechega Rupaiya" (Satyamev Jayate) |
| Musical Style | Mix of Indian classical, rock, R&B, Flamenco, Baul, Romani, and Bollywood |
| Husband | Ram Sampath (Music Composer and Director) |
| Marriage Year | 2005 |
| Residence | Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Social Activism | Vocal about women's rights and harassment issues in music industry |
| Documentary | "Shut Up Sona" about her life and career |
| Distinction | First Indian independent musician to debut on Billboard, Times Square, New York (2021) |
Career in Music
Sona Mohapatra gave up her well-paid corporate job after about five years to follow her dream of becoming a musician. She started with singing for advertisements. One of her famous jingles was for the Tata Salt campaign called "Kal Ka Bharat Hai." She also sang a popular song called "Paas Aao Na" for Unilever’s Close Up brand, which was used in many countries for years.
In 2007, Sona released her first music album called "Sona." This album showed a mix of many music styles such as rock, rhythm and blues, Flamenco, Hindustani classical, Baul, and Romani music. Some of her well-known Bollywood songs include "Bedardi Raja" from the movie Delhi Belly and "Ambarsariya" from the movie Fukrey. She also sang theme songs for the popular TV show Satyamev Jayate, hosted by Aamir Khan. The song "Mujhe Kya Bechega Rupaiya" became very famous and was watched by millions online.
Besides Bollywood, Sona has worked on music projects with international artists including David Bowie and bands like INXS. She is known for mixing Indian music with global sounds and experimenting with different styles.
Personal Life
Sona is married to Ram Sampath, a well-known music composer and director. They met in 2002 while she was still working in marketing. Their meeting was arranged by a director named Ram Madhvani. They married in 2005 and now live in Mumbai. Together, they run a music production company called OmGrown Music. They also have their own music studios where they produce their work.
Challenges and Voice
Sona Mohapatra is not only known for her music but also for her bold and strong voice on social and cultural issues. She has spoken openly against unfair treatment of women in the music industry. In 2018, she accused well-known singers Kailash Kher and Anu Malik of sexual misconduct, highlighting the difficulties women face in the field.
She also faced challenges for speaking out. In 2019, she received death threats after criticizing Bollywood star Salman Khan for making rude comments about actress Priyanka Chopra.
Documentary and Influence
Sona Mohapatra’s life and career were featured in a documentary film called "Shut Up Sona." This film won several awards and showed her struggle and success as a woman artist. She remains a role model for many young singers, especially women, who want to break traditional barriers in music and society.
Summary
In short, Sona Mohapatra is a brave and talented singer from Odisha who followed her passion for music despite having a successful corporate career. She mixes Indian classical sounds with modern and international music. She supports women's rights and speaks out bravely about difficult issues in the music industry. Sona’s journey shows that with hard work and courage, one can follow their dreams and make a strong impact. Her songs, voice, and story continue to inspire many.