The life and times of Bappi Lahiri

As we wait outside his Juhu bungalow, the jingle of his jewellery announces his arrival. Sunglasses firmly in place, his chains resting on his black t-shirt, singer, composer and Bling King incomparable Bappi Lahiri ushers us in. Apart from the signature bling decor and furniture, what one cannot miss in the large drawing room is the complete lack of space on the walls. Each adorned with a multitude of trophies won by the 62-year-old, who keeps referring to himself as the 'hit-machine'.

Bappida is pleased as punch. The early October-release Tamanchey may have been a dud at the box office, but that hasn't stopped his version of Pyaar Mein Dil Pe Maar De Goli from blazing the charts and firing up dance floors. "This was all Krsna's doing," he laughs looking up behind his sunglasses. Just when we think he's referring to the flute-playing god, he adds, "You know I'd really liked the way he mixed folk, classical and western beats together for Tanu Weds Manu so I sang Meri Toh Law Lag Gayi for his Jolly LLB."

Meri Toh... was a song much loved by youth across campuses given its closeness to a slangy phrase popular with people of a certain vintage. And Pyar Mein Dil Pe, composer Krsna's take on the classic Amitabh Bachchan number and sung by Bappida, has found its connect too.

Given how things worked, it was inevitable that the Krsna-Bappi duo would come back together, says the singer-composer, playing with the most gigantic of the multiple baubles on his fingers. "When he approached me for a song with an '80s flavour dedicated to RD Burman, I just couldn't say no. He took a line from the original Pyar Mein Dil Pe... from the Amitabh-starrer Mahaan in typical Panchamda style. In fact, I liked it so much that I agreed to sing it right away."

Suddenly nostalgic, Bappida drifts off to his long association with both RD and his father SD. "SD Burman was my guru and his genius son was very close to me for over four decades. Even when recording this dedication to RD I felt goosebumps and a mix of sadness and joy." Yet, he's sung this song differently from the original Kishore Kumar-Asha Bhosle version. "You know Kishore mamu ka gaana gaana koi khaane ka kaam nahi hai. Kishore Kumar was one of a kind. Nobody can come even close. So, I did not even try copying his gala khol ke style. I sang it like Panchamda, giving it a twist. In my mind, RD was explaining to me the way to sing that line at the recording."

This year has also seen him singing the hit track Tune Maari Entriyaan from Gunday with Krishnakumar Kunnath, Neeti Mohan and Vishal Dadlani. "It's a song I personally love for its catchy beat and simple lyrics. It can reach out to everyone from autorickshawalas to those shaking a leg at posh pubs and discos."

He's perhaps the only one of his generation who can appeal to everyone from five to 50. Little wonder then that the 2000s have seen his re-emergence as a singer. When Bappi lent his voice to Vishal-Shekhar for the first time in Bombai Nagariya for Taxi No. 9211 (2006), it set the tone for his new innings. Soon the Mozart from Madras, AR Rahman, approached him to sing Ek Lo Ek Muft for Mani Ratnam's Guru.

His albums too are making waves. Two of these – Bappi Lounge and God Is One (gospel-inspired) — are in the race for the Grammys this year. "There are two firsts associated with this. Not only is this the first time that there are two Indian albums competing with each other — this is also the first time a father-son duo are collaborating," he underlines while speaking of the twin albums he's put together with son Bappa.

Born in what was still Calcutta in 1952 to the famous Bengali singer Aparesh Lahiri and his musician-singer wife Bansari, well-versed in classical music and Shyama Sangeet, the only child's training began early. Bappi was playing the tabla with the proficiency of an experienced professional at three. "From Vaishnav bhajans to Rabindra Sangeet, from film music to Western music, I grew up with so much music around that it would need a miracle for me not to get musical," he smiles and quickly adds, "Yet rhythm was always my strength."

After his first Bengali film, Daadu (1972) the inevitable crossover to Bollywood happened with Nanha Shikari (1973). "Tahir Husain's Zakhmee (1975), where I composed music and sang, brought me fame and recognition," he recalls. The music for his subsequent Chalte Chalte and Surakksha made him a star. Mausam Hai Gaane Ka from Surakksha (1979), gave Mithun Chakraborty his first hit and there was no looking back after that.

Soon there was Saara Zamana from Yaarana sung by Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle's Pyar Karnewale Pyar Karte Hain from Shaan and Raat Baaki Baat Baaki from Namak Halaal. The John Travolta-style dance number in Dekha Hai Maine Tumhe Phir Se Palatke from Wardaat actually marked the pinnacle of the disco era when songs like Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja and I Am A Disco Dancer from Disco Dancer were the rage everywhere.

Film and cultural historian Mukul Joshi attributes the rise of Bappi to him knowing his audience. "No matter how much critics pan him for being loud or crass, there was no escaping the fact that he had the pulse of the man on the street. He was doing something right. Why else would filmmakers line up outside his bungalow?"

Given that both his parents were classically trained musicians, how did Bappi Lahiri get stuck with the over-the-top music of the Mithun Chakraborty movies? "But that is what the public wanted and it worked, didn't it?" asks the man who sang duets with Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar, worked with songstress sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle, launched Vijay Benedict and Sharon Prabhakar and paved the path to fame for Alisha Chinai and Usha Uthup.

The latter has often joked, "When you listen to those numbers now, my playback in duets with Bappida sounds like the 'male voice' while his softer voice sounds like he was singing for Kalpana Iyer, who was a staple in most of those films." Jokes apart, the man who brought the disco beat to India has had several generations dancing to his ditties, from the all-time-favourite Bambai Se Aaya Mera Dost from Aap Ki Khatir (1974) to the recent Pyar Mein...

It's not as if the tag of 'composer-for-the-front-rows' didn't bother him, given his lineage. Brilliant compositions like the Yesudas bhajan Shyam Rang Ranga Re in Apne Paraye (1980) and the haunting Asha Bhosle-Bhupinder Singh ghazal Kisi Nazar Ko Tera in Aitbaar (1985) did not get him the kind of attention that came with his disco numbers.

His attempts to throw the ball back into the audience's court drew criticism from stalwarts like the late composing legend Naushad. "Awaam toh bachey jaisi hoti hai. Hum hee achchi cheezein nahin denge toh unhe galat aadat toh padegi hi. (The audiences are like children. If you keep giving in to them, they will only ask for cheap stuff)." A stung Bappi had hit back, wondering whether Naushad could compose three hit film tracks, which can get audiences dancing, in one night. "Hamara sangeet sunke toh log nahin, dil jhumta hai (Our music makes not listeners, but their hearts dance)" Attempts to get him to talk about that old squabble is waved off with a cursory, "that is such an old matter."

Suddenly he's in a hurry. With a quick aside to his help on keeping the white jacket and t-shirt ready for the next shoot, he switches topics. He lets out hint of a collaboration with American producer, conductor, arranger, composer, instrumentalist and jazz musician Quincy Jones, but refuses to divulge more. "It's still being firmed up. I'll let you on to the details as soon as it's finalised."

Asked about the current music scene, he says, "I liked how Sunidhi (Chauhan) has sung the Khoobsurat number Engine Ki Seeti a lot. If more and more people are rehashing old songs it has to do with the rhythm and beat overdose we see today. People crave melody even if it means revisiting old wine in new bottles." While there's praise for Rahman ("his dedication is touching"), Vishal-Shekhar ("they work the hardest on their music") and Krsna ("he's just so full of josh and masti"), he dismisses most other young composers. "They are simply doing a cut-paste job from Thai, Indonesian and Korean numbers."

But isn't that a charge hurled at him all through his own career? A defensive Bappi tosses his locks. "See, of the 5,000 songs, you can call 11 or 12 inspired, but the rest were all original." Interestingly, he had sued producer Andre Young alias Dr Dre for using his Thoda Resham Lagta Hai in the track Addictive by Truth Hurts, and accused Jennifer Lopez of stealing his tune from the Ghayal number, Sochna Kya Jo Bhi Hoga Dekha Jayega. While the former was his own creation, the latter, by his own admission, was "influenced" by pop group Kaoma's Lambada. "The lambada is a traditional Brazilian form which I'd borrowed. That cannot be called lifting," he insists. Perhaps, this was also the reason why he did not proceed legally against Lopez.

According to him, every composer has borrowed from Western and folk genres, and he makes his point with a few RD Burman tunes. "But your entire work cannot be just a lift," he says. "That's the problem with most young composers, which is why neither they nor their music lasts long like mine has."

He holds the fist-size Ganesha pendant on his neck and mutters a prayer. "After all, my work is all His doing. I am very superstitious about these things," he says, and goes into an elaborate explanation about each of the 12 heavy chains and the other jewellery he wears. The trinkets and charms are from places as varied as Ajmer Sharif, a Kolkata shrine, and the Vatican. Doesn't he find it too cumbersome to carry them around? "But this is me. Abroad, on the odd occasion I've kept them inside my t-shirt, fans have come up to ask why I'm not wearing any of them." Known for his wardrobe, including Indian kurtas and sherwanis as well as sweatshirts and blazers, he says he picks things up impulsively. "And they work for me, don't they? Why else would you be asking me about it?" he guffaws.

Bappida, who at one point had as many as 37 releases in a year, believes it is still early to hang up his boots. With his recent outings as playback singer and music composer getting so much attention, he has every reason to think so.

Sitting astride his belly, Ganesha is smiling.

Top Bappi numbers

Tamma Tamma Loge
Thanedaar

Koi Yahan Aha Nache Nache
Disco Dancer

Raat Baaki
Namak Halaal

Yaar Bina Chain Kaha Re?
Saaheb

I am a Disco Dancer
Disco Dancer