Blockbusters, Disco & All Things Gold: Here’s How Bappi Da Became Indian Music’s Legendary Star

If you are a 90s kid, you must surely remember eagerly awaiting the weekend for the music reality show Sa Ra Ga Ma Pa to air. Without fail, every Saturday music legend Bappi Lahiri (Bappi da for all of us) would arrive on the show in the most OTT outfits and gold jewellery, and I honestly loved his unique style. This was my first impression of Bappi da—a guru, a music composer, singer, a lyrical genius and a man who loved to live life king-style.

Veteran composer Bappi Lahiri, born Alokesh Lahiri, passed away earlier today and February 16 will go down in history as one of the saddest days in the music industry. We were all still trying to process the loss of Lata Mangeshkar, and now we are heartbroken once again.

Bappi da, 69, breathed his last at CritiCare Hospital and was surrounded by his loved ones. His doctor shared the devastating announcement and shared, “Bappi Lahiri had been admitted to the hospital for a month and was discharged on Monday. But his health deteriorated on Tuesday and his family called for a doctor to visit their home. He was brought to the hospital. He had multiple health issues. He died due to OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) shortly before midnight.”

While we are still reeling from the shock, we hope that the singer is resting in peace now. Somewhere in heaven, he is making everyone dance with his music—after all, he is the OG golden boy of Bollywood. To commemorate the beautiful soul, here’s a glimpse at his phenomenal legacy. Read on.

From Classical Music To The Pioneer Of Disco In Bollywood

Bappi da was barely 3 when his parents started training him in classical music and he started his journey with the tabla. A child prodigy by all accounts, he had music in his blood as his parents, Aparesh and Bansari Lahiri, were well-known singers in Kolkata. In his teen years, Bappi da made his way to the Hindi film industry and along with him came the disco revolution in India. He ruled the ’80s with his disco-dance hits, churning them out one after the other and his fans couldn’t get enough of his peppy tracks.

He composed music for Mithun Chakraborty’s 1982 film Disco Dancer and set the ball rolling for the rest of the decade. Without a trace of doubt, he was the disco king of Bollywood.

Bappi Da And His Love For Bling

As a child, Bappi Lahiri was heavily inspired by the pop icon Elvis Presley and he was the inspiration behind his OTT looks. The music composer believed that gold is lucky for him and he never stepped out with less than 7 gold chains. 

In an old interview, Bappi da shared that even though people make fun of him for his gold obsession, he doesn’t care. He said, “Just like people are fond of shoes, perfumes and clothes, I’m fond of gold. Now it has become my image and I refuse to part with it. I wouldn’t want to change anything about my personality or my lifestyle.”

Rest in peace, Bappi da. You’ll be missed!

Feature Image Credit: Instagram