How Sofia Ashraf Turned Art into Activism — and Made the System Listen
- Student Journalist
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
What happens when creativity refuses to stay quiet? In the case of Sofia Ashraf, it becomes a force of activism. Bold, lyrical, and impossible to ignore.
Sofia Ashraf is a creative force, rapper, filmmaker, writer, and activist and someone who has built a career out of turning personal rebellion into public art. Born in 1987 in Chennai to an orthodox Malayali Muslim family, she first gained attention as the “Burqa Rapper” after performing a hijab-clad rap during a college festival. Since then, she’s evolved into one of India’s most fearless voices in protest music, using her platform to challenge corporate negligence, gender norms, and toxic creative spaces.
Art as Activism
Sofia’s breakout moment came in 2015 with “Kodaikanal Won’t,” a viral rap video that called out Unilever for mercury pollution in Tamil Nadu. The track garnered millions of views and even prompted a response from Unilever’s then CEO. But for her, the song was more than a protest, it was a personal calling.
When people ask why she became an artist, her answer is clear:
“It isn’t a choice, ladies and gentlemen and others. If you are an artist, that little voice inside you that’s just telling you, you need to create something, you need to create something. It does not shut up until you create something”
That relentless need to make art—whether for herself, a brand, or someone’s birthday—drives her entire practice. It’s not just a passion, it’s a biological need. In Sofia’s world, protest and creation come from the same place: the refusal to stay silent.
Filmmaking as a Safe Space
While rap brought her into the spotlight, filmmaking has become Sofia’s current creative home. As a director, sees it as a medium that captures her diverse artistic interests. From writing and choreography to music and set design.
“Filmmaking at the moment kind of encapsulates everything that I want to do artistically,” she shared.
But her vision extends way beyond just artistic. Ms. Ashraf is committed to transforming film sets into safe, inclusive, and energizing spaces. She actively discourages yelling and promotes professional conduct, challenging the toxic hierarchies that often plague Indian film productions.
“I encourage not yelling on my sets. I believe it is a professional workspace, and work can get done without yelling,” she emphasized.
Her Identity As A Creator
Sofia Ashraf’s creative identity is a constantly shifting, expanding force. She’s been called a rapper, a writer, a filmmaker—but each role emerged from a different moment in her personal journey.
Her turning point? Leaving home.
“But I never allowed myself to dream about it until I walked away from home, came to Bombay at the age of 22, built something for myself, realized that, hey, everything that was taught to me kind of is not the all and absolute truth. And that I can have dreams. I can have ambitions.”
Moving to Bombay cracked something open in her. A hunger to explore, experiment, and embrace her own ambitions.
“So I think what made me into a rapper, I told you. What made me into a filmmaker was finally being allowed to have an ambition.”
Her creative drive is relentless.
“I have a tattoo that says ‘create and destroy.’ As an artist, I am always looking to create. I don’t think I can go a week without that feeling of wanting to create,” she confessed.
This tattoo is both a personal necessity and a form of resistance.
Sofia Ashraf is more than an artist; she’s a catalyst for change. Whether through rap, film, or activism, she challenges society and invites others to do the same. Her work serves as a reminder that art can be a powerful tool for social transformation, and that embracing one’s identity can lead to profound creative expression.
Written by Samaira Law Singh
Samaira wrote this article after conducting an interview with rapper, writer and filmmaker Sofia Ashraf.
This article was created as part of the Media-Makers Fellowship's May'25 cohort.
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