Bappi Lahiri could stun you in a flash. Years ago, I was crossing the pavement outside The Oberoi Grand in Kolkata. Just then, Bappi da’s shiny car cut in, angling for the hotel entrance. There he was, parked in the front seat in his distinctive blue suit, gold chains and shades. A gasp went up — not of surprise at spotting a famous celebrity, but of the sheer improbability of a pop god in flesh.
Flashy and flamboyant, hearty and humorous, Bappi da was a rockstar from the musical heavens. His disco grooves pulsated with sweaty electricity, his melodies caught us unawares. He revitalised the Hindi film music of the 80s and 90s. There was a pulpy, transcendent quality to his sound — a music that cut through vague intellectualisms and put a spring in our steps. He roared and he thundered, undeterred by genres, trends or shifting sensibilities. It’s his timelessness that stings as we bid goodbye to the Disco King of India. The celebrated singer, composer and producer passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday night, due to obstructive sleep apnea and other issues. He was 69.
Bappi was born Alokesh Lahiri, to musician parents in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal. Kishore Kumar, the preeminent singer of the time, was his maternal uncle. Bappi learned the tabla at 3, made his first stage appearance at 4. By his early twenties, he was composing for the likes of Lata Mangeshkar and Mukesh. He was seen as a successor to RD Burman, and, in the mid-1970s, got his big break with Zakhmee and Chalte Chalte. The 80s were a disruptive time for Bollywood music.
Bappi was inspired by Rupa Biswas’ album Disco Jazz to fuse American influences into his sound. He was a drummer, and incorporated the synthesizer into his tracks. He did his most iconic work in this phase, from Armaan and Disco Dancer down to Thanedar, Aaj Ka Arjun, Ghayal and Dushman Devta. Disco Dancer was such a hit that it sealed his legacy with Mithun’s. The duo followed it up with Dance Dance, Prem Pratigya, Dalaal and other films.
Bappi collaborated with a vast range of singers (Kishore, Lata, Usha Uthup, Vijay Benedict, Ila Arun, Amit Kumar, Anuradha Paudwal), lyricists (Kaifi Azmi, Anjaan, Farukh Kaiser, Gauhar Kanpuri, Dev Kohli), and other composers (Vishal-Shekhar, Anand Raaj Anand). He also worked in about 25 films featuring Telugu stars like Krishna, Chiranjeevi, Mohan Babu, Balakrishna, and Suman. He gave Telugu cinema some of its cherished albums in the 90s, including Simhasanam, State Rowdy, Gang Leader, Rowdy Gari Pellam, Rowdy Alludu and Rowdy Inspector.
Beyond films, Bappi da toured the world with his troupe of singers, from the smallest Kolkata venue to stadiums in Dubai. Privately, though, he remained diffident, religious and family-centred. Collaborators recall warm birthday parties and festivals and pujas at his home. His controversies were scarce: some overweening press statements, the occasional plagiarism charge. In 2014, he contested as a BJP candidate from Sreerampur in the Lok Sabha elections but lost.
“I have achieved a lot, but I still want to work,” Bappi da once said. He made good on that promise, judging reality shows, doing guest appearances, blessing remakes and rejigs. ‘Bumbai Nagariya’ from Taxi No. 9211 and ‘Ooh La La’ from The Dirty Picture are both self-tributes and modern hits. His deep, instinctive need to create will inspire and animate generations to come. Rest in power, Disco King.