Papon: In Motilal Nehru, I would sit with a guitar and girls would flock around me
Bollywood singer-composer Papon recollects his days in Delhi University’s Motilal Nehru College, where he took admission to pursue English (Hons).
One of Bollywood’s most loved singer-composer Angarag Mahanta aka Papon says, “Dilli dilwalon ki hai. Dil yahan hai (Delhi has people with big heart)...” In Delhi recently, for ASEAN-India Music Festival 2017, the popular singer took to the stage at Purana Qila and the adrenaline rush of Delhiites was pumped up to the extent that the security had a hard time managing the crowd!
Did Papon prepare a line-up, in mind, before performing? “I don’t have to prepare to perform in Delhi… People [here] like all kinds of music not just filmy stuff; and me being from Delhi, I connect well may be. Delhi audience has always been good. I was really looking forward to this because I haven’t played [in] a big open [air] show in Delhi for a long time,” says the singer who is popular for his numbers Jiyein Kyun (from Dum Maaro Dum) and Moh Moh Ke Dhage (from Dum Laga Ke Haisha).
Just the mention of the Capital’s name is sufficient to make him nostalgic. “Assam is where I belong, but Delhi will always remain special because all my formative years, when I left my parents and started my own life, I stayed in Delhi. I was here for more than a decade. Matters of the heart, college, everything was in Delhi yaar… So Delhi will always remain special,” he says.
A faint smile takes over his face compelling one to ask the reason, and Papon opens his heart to reveal, “I actually came to Delhi to study architecture. But, I used to hang around and then didn’t want to do architecture. Then, I went to join English (Hons) in Ramjas [College]. I got admission, but all my friends were in South Delhi. So, I decided ki ab padai likhai hogi jo bhi hogi (studies will happen the way they have to) but I’ll also be in South Delhi; and went to Motilal Nehru [College]. Later I dropped out of there, too, and couldn’t complete college.”
Such was the importance of friends in his life. “My class in Motilal Nehru had some five girls and three boys. I skipped most of the classes because there was a staircase near my classroom, and I would just sit there with a guitar and all the girls — senior or junior — would flock around me, and I would bask in the glory. I made friends easily… Those were the moments, days… canteen in south campus, going to drop someone. That was my college life,” says Papon, as his voice gets filled with sweet memories.
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