Bappi Lahiri (1952-2022): The man who brought disco to the mainstream in the ’80s, set feet tapping across India

Lahiri learned music from his Bengali singer parents, Aparesh and Bansuri Lahiri, in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, and his maternal uncle, actor and playback singer Kishore Kumar. After learning the basics of classical music from his parents, including some training in tabla, Lahiri moved to Mumbai when he was 19 years old and began creating music in an industry dominated by R D Burman, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Kalyanji-Anandji among others.

He may have begun his career with compositions for Bengali film Daadu, but his Bollywood debut came two years after he set foot in Mumbai with Nanha Shikari (1973), starring actors Deb Mukherjee and Tanuja. Directed by Tanuja’s husband Shomu Mukherjee, the film didn’t do too well on the musical charts.

After a few unsuccessful attempts, Lahiri finally hit it out of the park with three films in three successive years – Zakhmee (1975), Chalte Chalte (1976) and Aapki Khatir (1977). While “Aao tumhe chand pe le jaayen” (Zakhmee) sung by Lata Mangeshkar was noticed, it was Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar’s “Jalta hai jiya mera” that had the country swinging to it. Then came “Kabhi alvida na kehna”, the title song for Chalte Chalte that was to become the farewell song for years to come, followed by the fun “Bambai se aaya mera dost”.

But Lahiri was yet to hit his commercial peak. That came in the ’80s. And it began with Lahiri giving the world a peek into his world of disco through “Hari Om Hari” (Pyaara Dushman, 1980). He got singer Usha Uthup, the toast of Trincas — the famed restaurant and performance venue at Kolkata’s Park Street — to croon the piece. The song shot to fame and got Uthup a Filmfare Award but disco as a genre was yet to break ground in the country. That happened with the spirited and electric Disco Dancer (1982). “I am a disco dancer” sung by Vijay Benedict was a rage and remains etched in the nation’s collective memory — it created a disco subculture that was previously non-existent.

This was followed by chart-topping hits in Namak Halal (1982) and Dance Dance (1987); there were others like Himmatwala (1983) and Sharaabi (1983). A part of Amitabh Bachchan’s success in the ’80s can be credited to Lahiri and his unique songs like “De de pyaar de” and “Ke pag ghunghroo baandh”. He made Bhosle attempt disco-pop with “Jawani jaan-e-man” and “Raat baaqi”. These songs had unique personalities and extended themselves to the actors that portrayed them. Then there was “Kaliyon ka chaman” (Jyoti, 1981), the Lata Mangeshkar song which became more famous as a remix in the ’00s.

Uthup called Lahiri a “trailblazer, trendsetter, and innovator” in her video statement about the composer. “All the new sounds, computing, and programming began with him. There are so many of us musicians today who got roti, kapda, makaan because of him. A simple man with a heart of gold. I feel a little pained by the fact that when he was alive, he wasn’t appreciated as much. He was a true gamechanger whose contribution can never be forgotten,” she said.

Playback singer and pop star Alisha Chinai, who sang extensively for Lahiri, including the popular “Zoobi zoobi” (Dance Dance), “Disco dandiya” (Love Love Love, 1989) and “I am a bad girl” (Guru, 1989), said that Lahiri was a pathbreaker, as he, along with composer Biddu and Nazia Hassan, brought disco to India. “I was singing jingles at the time and Bappi da was looking for a voice with some Western sensibility. I happened to fit the bill and there was no looking back. Back in the day, essentially all the soundtracks were about pretty melodies. Bappi da came and redefined the music we were hearing. He brought disco and fused it with melody, which made it interesting and different,” said Chinai, who recorded a Bengali song for Lahiri a couple of months ago.

Lahiri’s range also extended to ghazals, a genre that rose to popularity in India in the ’80s. His composition “Kisi nazar ko” (Aitbaar, 1985) is still celebrated for being one of the finest of film ghazals. Lahiri also enjoyed singing and often sang for himself as well as other composers. “Yaar bina chain” (Saaheb, 1985) remains one of his most popular ones, apart from “Ooh la la” (The Dirty Picture, 2011) and “Bambai nagariya” (Taxi no 9211, 2006), the latter two composed by the duo, Vishal-Shekhar.

While the ’80s aren’t considered the finest years in Hindi cinema music, Lahiri’s melodies were very influential, turning him into a pioneer of disco in India. He never paid much attention to allegations of plagiarism, or talk about his flamboyant sartorial choices. He adored his gold jewellery, wore it with aplomb and could eat fish curry every day.

Lahiri was the first Indian composer to make it to the Grammy jury in 2012. He also had a brief stint in politics — he joined the BJP in 2014 and fought the Lok Sabha elections but lost.

Lahiri will forever be remembered as the musician who brought disco to the mainstream in India. If one were to visit Russia and sing “Jimmy jimmy” today, the reply from the locals may well be “Aaja aaja”. That’s the impact he leaves behind.