#CovidCrisis: I have not done a live show for a year and a half, it is very tough, rues Papon

Singer Papon talks about the situation in Assam amid the covid wave, and no live shows becoming a problem.

Singer Papon is busy doing Covid-relief work in his home state, Assam, as he admits it was very essential amid the chaos that the second wave of the pandemic brought.

Singer Papon has crooned tracks such as Kyun (Barfi!) and Tera Chaav (Sui Dhaaga: Made In India)

“We couldn’t step out for a long time. Initially, we started a helpline with an NGO, but a lot of people aren’t tech savvy, so there was much confusion . Many don’t know who to call, so we formed a small team, and asked them to verify all numbers we could get, for say, providing food at home, medicines, if they need Covid care,” shares the Bulleya (Sultan; 2016) singer.

The 45-year-old notes that people in villages didn’t know to go about dealing with the virus. “They didn’t even know how to use the oximeter. So we took some health officers to the village, who spoke to the people there,” he adds.

Besides helping people, the singer also utilised the time he got at hand, and churned out music from home. While he agrees that lockdown gave plenty of time to artistes and those in creative fields to do research, he rues the absence of any source of income.

Papon elucidates, “There’s a monthly cash outflow for anyone to sustain. One has to pay constant rent and EMIs. You can curtail your expenses by not going out, but there are some fixed things. For musicians, our only source of bread and butter is live shows. I haven’t done one for almost one for a year and a half now. It’s tough, very tough. I don’t know how many artistes can stay like this for long.”

However, due to the pandemic-led restrictions, it will take time for normalcy to resume, and the singer understands is well aware of that.

“We don’t know what to do about it, so, there’s no point stressing. I can’t do much about the situation, so I’m just trying to make music. Good times will come back, it’s only a matter of time though I’m not sure when,” he ends.