Popular Indian singer and music composer Bappi Lahiri breathed his last on February 16 in Mumbai. The musician was known for introducing pop culture in the subcontinent and changing the music scene in the region with Disco numbers and also roping in classical singers like Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar to do so. Few know that it was for this very reason that Bappi Lahiri had a liking for the brother-sister duo of Zoheb Hassan and Nazia Hassan, and would meet them whenever he would get a chance.
Some of the rarest numbers by Nazia Hassan were composed by Bappi Lahiri. While here in this part of the Indian subcontinent, people would dance to ‘Aag’, ‘Dum Dum Dee Dee’ and ‘Ankhein Milane Wale’, the Indians would be left in awe with the most unique collaborations ever resulting from the creativity of Bappi Lahiri who would ask Kishore Kumar and Nazia Hassan to sing duets for him, hence the songs ‘No Entry’ and ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ for film ‘Main Balwaan’ and ‘Mein Aaya Tere Liye’ for the Govinda starrer ‘Ilzaam’, with Zoheb replacing Kishore in the latter.
Bappi Lahiri also chose Zoheb Hassan and Nazia Hassan for singing the songs of multiple other films of his, such as ‘Sheela’ and ‘Dilwaala’, producing popular club numbers like ‘Tonight Pyar Karo’ for the 1980s already demanding more and more of such music. It is even more interesting to note that Bappi Lahiri did a complete album with Nazia Hassan in 1986 called ‘Dancing City with Nazia Hassan’ but the album couldn’t make it in the desired form due to the cancellation of the contract for reasons unknown. Not only this, but one of the most popular songs of Nazia Hassan from her last album ‘Camera’ was also composed by Bappi Lahiri. The song was called ‘Dil Ki Lagi’ and is still counted among the most celebrated pieces of Nazia Hassan. It’s also surprising to note how ‘Dil Ki Lagi’, with its soft and soothing melody, emerged as a work quite different from what was usually expected of Bappi Lahiri.
With Bappi Lahiri also having left for his heavenly abode, Pakistanis need to equally mourn the demise as he gave them a masterpiece to enjoy for years, without even letting the majority know that it’s his composition which often makes it to Pakistan Television.
