Papon feels that young singers should be encouraged

When Papon sang the soulful

'Moh Moh Ke Dhaage'

from last year's release

'Dum Laga Ke Haisha'

, little did he realise that the song would become such a rage in the country. Composed by Anu Malik, the young singer says when he first heard the song he felt he should get the song. The very success of the song went to prove that a melody combined with soulful rendition still works magic in Bollywood.

Papon's songs 'Humnava' in

'Humari Adhoori Kahani'

, 'Kyon' in 'Barfi!' and now

'Bulleya'

in

'Sultan'

have already cemented his place in a competitive Bollywood where you cannot take your place for granted. According to Papon, his songs are an eclectic mix of folk and classical. He also has a passion for Western music and his folk-fusion band East India Company bears testimony to this.

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Son of popular Assamese folk artist Khagen Mahanta, Papon says that for an artist training is a life long process and it goes beyond the technical aspect. 'My father used to send me to buy groceries so that I could understand the daily life of a common man,' he was quoted as saying. He brought these experiences to bear on his singing which are reflected in his voice when he sings for a character.

The song he sang in 'Sultan' was a sufi number but he feels that it didn't get the desired traction as it should have. Does Papon feel insecure at times now that Bollywood has so many young singers? 'Not really. I am not intimidated by the increasing number of singers in the industry. Young singers should be encouraged. The only fear I have is that if you record a song, there is no guarantee that your voice will be retained,' says the singer.

Papon is a big fan of Salil Chowdhury songs and one of his favourites is 'O Sajna Barkha Bahaar Aayi'. Having grown up listening to the songs of Hemant and Kishore Kumar, Papon, who studied in Delhi, has a strong connect with the city because it helped him correct his Hindi/ Urdu diction. According to Papon, live events are more like theatre where one can improvise.

Listen to the songs of Papon on Gaana.com