The 'Draupadi 2' storm is intensifying — and this time it involves Chinmayi Sripada, one of India’s most recognised voices, a multilingual playback singer, a celebrated dubbing artist, an entrepreneur, and a leading figure in the country’s gender-justice movement.

Her recent apology for singing EmKoney, the single from director Mohan G’s upcoming controversial sequel, has triggered a fresh wave of debate across social media and the film industry.

Chinmayi publicly stated she did not know the film’s background when she recorded the track — a revelation that shocked fans, given her long-standing activism and outspoken stance against misogyny and discrimination.

However, her statement also stunned Mohan G, who released a video demanding clarity and expressing his disappointment: 

“Chinmayi did not ask me or the music director (Ghibran Vaibodha) for an explanation. This was a surprise to us, as she didn't know what the film was about, and she could have asked us.”Check out the video below:

The director added that while he wasn’t present during the studio session, his team supervised the recording and that he personally wanted Chinmayi — a powerhouse vocalist with pan-Indian reach — to render the song.

The backlash began after social media users questioned how Chinmayi, known for calling out casteism, sexism, and power abuse in the arts, ended up performing for a filmmaker who has often been criticised for allegedly glorifying caste violence and honour killing in his works.

Chinmayi then drew a clear boundary:

“If I had known beforehand, I would never have collaborated because the ideologies are in complete contradiction to mine. This is the absolute truth.” This only prompted more questions — including from the director himself.

Mohan G insisted that faith is central to the film and said he had never come across Chinmayi making statements against belief. He openly wondered what part of Draupadi 2 clashed with her worldview.

He further hinted that Chinmayi’s apology may have come under social pressure, but stressed that the intent of his video was not confrontation but clarity. His central concern: the film’s reputation and its crew’s safety.

Mohan G reiterated that technicians and contributors should not be targeted, adding that if anyone had issues with the film’s ideology, the blame should rest squarely on him, not the people involved in its creation.

Meanwhile, the controversy has only amplified attention around ‘Draupadi 2’, which stars Richard Rishi and Rakshana Induchoodan, though its release date remains unannounced.

What started as a song collaboration has now become a flashpoint in larger conversations around artistic responsibility, political ideology, and the moral burden carried by public figures — especially someone like Chinmayi, whose voice extends far beyond cinema.