Sona Mohapatra is evidently singing a different tune. Having admittedly earned the reputation of being the person ready to entertain 'a nari morcha', she is, in equal measure, nervous and excited to present her upcoming track. She speaks of her 'bed scenes' with as much amusement as she does the theme of the song mdash an older free-spirited woman romancing a younger man. 'It's time we turned the tables,' she announces, admitting that with love being the theme of the month, she's eager to explore romantic offerings in 2022

'I realised that I had been taking myself too seriously, of late, so I decided to approach this [differently]. Noor uses the classical story-telling [technique]. Here, the dialogues that have been spoken and sung are my words. This is the first of a trilogy, and is, in its entirety, an expression of me. The woman rides a bike, is free-spirited, and takes charge of her life. The song encapsulates my love for poetry, love songs, and folk music. At the same time, it reflects my love for adventure, including [activities] like biking and riding horses. I got a chance to play out my fantasy,' says the Ambarsariya singer, adding that the success of the Fukrey track inspired her to give a go at the story-telling format again.

'A female-led song like Ambarsiya is rare to come by. After its success, I should have had 10 such songs in Bollywood. But that didn't happen. With the reinvention of Punjabi folk music, and with many [artistes] making music simplistic, almost like a nursery rhyme, I wanted to reintroduce the elegance of poetry.'

Broaching the subject of an older woman romancing a younger man was essential, given the role-reversal seen in cinema, and life. 'When Donald Trump marries a woman 30 years younger than him, [we] accept that. But when the French president [Emmanuel Macron] is with a woman 25 years older than him, that's a problem? Initially, I asked some of my industry friends to feature in the song, but then I realised that if I had conducted auditions for my first album and given a break to actors like Rajkummar Rao and Vijay Verma, I should do auditions again. I feel happy for a lot of first-time partnerships again, and [music label] Warner music is creatively and aesthetically in sync with my choices.'

Produced overnight in Leh Ladakh in temperatures that fell to -15 degrees, Noor is Mohapatra's brainchild. 'We have some interesting scenes in bed. I have never done anything glamorous. But, just when you don't expect something from an artiste, you should be surprised by her. Noor showcases a character which is like me. When you are the soul of your song, your personality shines.'