Singer Sona Mohapatra recently fired back at critics on X (formerly Twitter) who dismissed her concerns about the Lollapalooza India 2026 lineup. After a user labeled her critique a “meaningless accusation,” and another accused her of undermining fellow artists, Sona did not hold back in her response.
One X user defended the festival’s choices, saying, “The bands that are crowd pullers will always be featured on top. This is business! That’s why they are called the headliners. Meaningless accusation. ”Sona replied sharply, “And it is your worthless, 2 paisa opinion that no Indian acts are ‘crowd pullers’ within India? That’s your low self-esteem speaking sadly. All the music festivals abroad honour their own homegrown acts & thereby build their brands upwards. We never will, thanks to attitudes like u.”
& it is your worthless , 2 paisa opinion that no Indian acts are ‘crowd pullers’ within India?That’s your low self esteem speaking sadly. All the music festivals abroad honour their own homegrown acts & thereby build their brands upwards. We never will thanks to attitudes like u https://t.co/x3wuAym0DN
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) August 30, 2025
When another user accused her of pulling down other artists instead of supporting them, Sona hit back again. The user’s tweet urged, “Instead of tearing down global lineup, let’s push for more desi representation on the same stage. Because the world deserves to hear our music, too. Artists should stand up for artists, not put them down.
”Sona responded with candor: “Low self-esteem? Blinders? This fellow doesn’t see me speaking up for my own desi artist brethren as a worthy stand. More worried about goddess knows… acts who have enough & more headlining stages in their own western lands, no one there is shedding tears or missing Indian artists.”
Her comments highlight her passion for advocating greater respect and representation for Indian artists on global music platforms, while calling out dismissive attitudes toward homegrown talent.
