Several Bollywood celebrities have at last broken their silence on singer Papon’s alleged sexual assault on a minor. Find out who said what on the controversy:
Monali Thakur
Singer Monali Thakur tweeted, “I got so many calls yesterday for this ridiculous misinterpretation of a man’s gesture of affection! I am a girl n I know what is a sexual perversion in a man! And Papon is anything but that! Leave aside for a kid! Lotsa love @paponmusic #iStandbyPapon 🙏🏻”
I got so many calls yesterday for this ridiculous misinterpretation of a man’s gesture of affection! I am a girl n I know what is sexual perversion in a man! And Papon is anything but that! Leave aside for a kid! Lotsa love @paponmusic #iStandbyPapon 🙏🏻https://t.co/UJhX9P8fZH
— Monali Thakur (@monalithakur03) February 24, 2018
Zubeen Garg
Singer Zubeen Garg wrote, “I m sorry about the incident happened wth papon recently.he called me up today n we spoke fr sm time.i saw his statement also.i know him from a long time.i dnt think he had any intention to do it.its a simple incident which became viral in social media.so chill out be calm n enjoy ur moments evryday.we r musicians we love people n we r there only bcoz of th people.salute comrades.our music is our bonding (sic)”
Popular singer Shaan had come out in full support for Papon and tweeted by saying that his stand #istandbypapon was based on the assumption that it was ‘a wrong angle’ and that ‘the kiss was not on the lips’. Here’s what Shaan had tweeted, “My stand is on assumption that it was actually a wrong angle and the Kiss was not on the lips.. I’ve known Papon to be extremely affectionate person and not a ‘pervert’ as being accused.. of course Law of the Land must take its course (sic)”.
Moments after voicing his shocking opinion, Shaan deleted his tweet.
Celebrities who condemned Papon:
Dia Mirza
Dia Mirza said, “I haven’t had the opportunity to understand what has transpired. I am completely baffled by it. It’s beyond my imagination that he would harm a young child and I wish I knew about it more. Though I know Papon personally. He sang for one of my movies. It’s not even in my composition of imagination that he would harm a child.”
Raveena Tandon
Former actress Raveena Tandon didn’t mince any words. She claimed the alleged act of Papon compulsorily kissing the 11-year-old girl, who he is a mentor to on the singing reality TV show ‘The Voice India Kids’, as ‘disgusting’, ‘shameful’ and ‘perverse’.
Tandon tweeted, “Disgusting! Shameful!Perverse! This man Papon should be arrested! The girl’s parents succumbing to pressure! The explanations given are ridiculous! Haven’t felt such anger and shame to see this happen and some on tv debates actually defending the act! (sic)”
Disgusting! Shameful!Perverse! This man Papon should be arrested ! The girls parents succumbing to pressure ! The explanations given are ridiculous! Haven’t felt such anger and shame to see this happen and some on tv debates actually defending the act !
— Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) February 23, 2018
Gauhar Khan
Former ‘Bigg Boss’ contestant Gauahar Khan, who made appearances in Bollywood films like ‘Begum Jaan’ and ‘Ishaqzaade’, slammed Papon for his alleged misconduct.
Gauahar Khan tweeted, “Wasn’t smothering a child’s face with your palm rubbing color all over it for 4 secs enough as fatherly love, that u had to pull the child’s face then to strategically peck her on the lip??? There was no wrong camera angle or the child moving her face mistakenly BTW 🙄😡#papon👎”
Wasn’t smothering a child’s face with your palm rubbing color all over it for 4 secs enough as fatherly love, that u had to pull the child’s face then to strategically peck her on the lip??? There was no wrong camera angle or the child moving her face mistakenly BTW 🙄😡#papon👎
— Gauahar Khan (@GAUAHAR_KHAN) February 23, 2018
Suchitra Krishnamoorthi
Former actress Suchitra Krishnamoorthi tweeted, “If anybody behaved with my daughter the way #Papon did with the teenage girl I would slap him several times in such a way that no one dared behave that way again. and #Papon shld worry abt his own actions rather than the patriachal shit of trying to worry abt girls reputation. Uff (sic)”
If anybody behaved with my daughter the way #Papon did with the teenage girl I would slap him several times in such a way that no one dared behave that way again
— Suchitra Krishnamoorthi (@suchitrak) February 23, 2018
Regardless of his intention. the action towards the child was very inappropriate https://t.co/4Ir7Qn8Nhz
— Suchitra Krishnamoorthi (@suchitrak) February 23, 2018
Farah Khan
Though Farah denounced Papon’s alleged act, she also supported him by claiming that he’s a ‘good guy’ and he ‘didn’t mean to do it’.
Celebrities who didn’t take a stand
Navjot Singh Sidhu
Indian politician and famous TV personality Navjot Singh Sidhu failed to take a stand on the Papon controversy. The former cricketer, when Republic TV asked him for his view, said, “Without getting into the facts and details of an individual, I would refrain to comment.”
Pahlaj Nihalani
Pahlaj Nihalani said to ANI, “Since the video is edited and we are not fully aware of what happened before or after the scene, I will refrain from making any unnecessary comments. However, I feel it is the organisers’ responsibility to ensure their participants’ safety in such cases.”
Singer Angarag Papon Mahanta on Friday broke his silence on his alleged sexual assault on a minor girl saying that it was “just a case of faulty camera angles and an accidental move”.
A complaint was registered on Friday against Papon for allegedly “inappropriately kissing a minor girl”.
As per reports, the incident happened during the shoot of a Holi celebration on the sets of the singing reality show where the girl is among the contestants.
Runa Bhuyan, Supreme Court lawyer, registered a complaint against him under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.