Papon kissing row: Musicians stand by singer amidst controversial video

Assamese singer Angarag Papon Mahanta

Assamese singer Angarag Mahanta, popularly known as Papon, is in the midst of a controversy following a Holi video featuring him that went viral. In it, he is seen getting close to a minor contestant from the singing reality show, The Voice Kids, which he judges.

The video shot during the show's Holi celebrations was uploaded on the singer's official Facebook page.

The gesture was termed an inappropriate show of affection by the complainant, Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan, who filed a complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights against the singer.

Papon has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for kissing the contestant, who incidentally belonged to the group he mentored.

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Bhuyan, who saw the video on Papon's Facebook timeline, told mid-day, "If you watch the video carefully, the girl, who is enjoying the celebrations at the start, looks stunned after Papon kisses her. I don't think this is a gesture of affection. Is this how minors are treated on reality shows? In the entire video there is not a single adult supervisor visible, to take care of the girls and kids."

Bhuyan said she had not approached the contestant's parents and chose to go ahead and file the complaint based on the video.

"Since it is a sexual offence involving a minor, I have not revealed the girl's name or that of her parents in the complaint," she said.

Bhuyan had told a television channel earlier this morning, "I am Assamese and have grown up listening to his songs. I am a fan. But, let's not protect him if he has done something wrong."

Papon's manager, Partha Gogoi, told mid-day, "There is a statement that our legal team is working on and will issue. But, I urge everyone to see the video in full." A source from the set told mid-day, "It was an accident. After shooting the Holi special episode, everyone was chilling in Papon's vanity van. The contestant didn't want colour to be put on her which is why she made the face you see. The bond between him and the kids is great. It's sad that he has to endure this. He is a good, down to earth man."

Although rumours about the makers of the show contemplating dropping Papon from the judging panel were doing the rounds, an insider from the show claimed that a joint press conference fronted by the singer and the contestant's parents was likely to be held today to clear the air.

In the past, too, reality shows featuring children have been in the eye of a storm. In early 2017, filmmaker Shoojit Sircar hit headlines with a tweet that called for a ban on kids' reality shows. He found support in Amol Gupte, director of Taare Zameen Par, who has spent a large part of his career working with children in theatre. The criticism centred around long working hours, exploitative conditions on set and children being nudged into inappropriate behaviour, typical of adults.

A grab from the video that shows Papon and the young female contestant

A senior musician who requested not to be named, agreed that when dealing with children, it was imperative to exercise caution. The singer's supporters stood up for him on social media. One tweet read: "Remember, people only rain on your parade because they're jealous of your sun and tired of their shade".

While his supporters from the music industry spoke of 'perceived' abuse, it's important to reference the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) guidelines, which in 2011, were revised to prevent exploitation of children participating in television shows and advertisements. They stress on the fact that it's important that minor contestants not be placed in a circumstance where abuse can be alleged (see box).