# Bappi Lahiri
**Bappi Lahiri** (born Alokesh Lahiri; 1952 – 15 February 2022) was an Indian music director, composer, and playback singer who popularized disco music in [Hindi cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/hindi-cinema), earning the nicknames "Disco King" and "King of Disco". In a career of roughly five decades he composed for hundreds of films, and his soundtracks for films such as *Disco Dancer* (1982), *[Namak Halaal](https://www.edgepedia.org/namak-halaal)* (1982), and *Sharaabi* (1984) defined the dance music of Bollywood in the 1980s.[1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/) • [2](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952; the FIA tribute gives 1952 in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, as Alokesh Lahiri, while his official site gives Calcutta as his birthplace[3](https://fianynjct.org/bi-weekly/pdf/DIASPORA-BI-WEEKLY-Wednesday-March-02-2022-Issue57.pdf) • [1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/) |
| Breakthrough | *Zakhmee* (1975), for which he composed the music and doubled as playback singer[1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/) |
| Signature films | *Disco Dancer* (1982), *Namak Halaal* (1982), *Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki* (1984), *Sharaabi* (1984)[2](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en) |
| Awards | Filmfare Award for *Sharaabi* (1984); Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 at the 63rd Filmfare Awards[4](https://femina.wwmindia.com/magazines/2022/march/Filmfare_Mar_2022.pdf) • [1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/) |
| Signature song | "Chalte Chalte mere ye geet yaad rakhna" from *Chalte Chalte* (1976)[3](https://fianynjct.org/bi-weekly/pdf/DIASPORA-BI-WEEKLY-Wednesday-March-02-2022-Issue57.pdf) |
| Family tie | Singer and actor Kishore Kumar was his maternal uncle[2](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en) |
| Died | 15 February 2022, in Mumbai, at 69[5](https://teachmint.storage.googleapis.com/public/139009903/StudyMaterial/ac9edd6d-07be-4a4e-87d2-b642acbaf8a5.pdf) |
## Early life and family
Lahiri was born in 1952 into a Bengali family immersed in music. His father, Aparesh Lahiri, was a well-known Bengali singer, and his mother, Bansari (also spelled Bansuri) Lahiri, was a musician and singer versed in classical music and [Shyama Sangeet](https://www.edgepedia.org/shyama-sangeet); his parents trained him in every aspect of music[1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/). An aunt, Meera Lahiri, gave him the nickname Bapi, which he later changed to Bappi at the suggestion of the producer Shomu Mukherjee[6](https://scroll.in/latest/994500/andhra-pradesh-cm-defends-plan-to-turn-government-schools-into-english-medium-institutions).
His mother's family connected him to Hindi cinema's biggest voices. The singer and actor [Kishore Kumar](https://www.edgepedia.org/kishore-kumar) was his maternal uncle, and it was on [Lata Mangeshkar](https://www.edgepedia.org/lata-mangeshkar)'s advice that he trained under the tabla maestro Pandit Samta Prasad. By some accounts he was playing the tabla at the age of three[2](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en).
## Career beginnings, 1969 to 1975
His first work as a music director came in Bengali cinema. According to his official site, his first opportunity was the Bengali film *Daadu* (1972); Bollywood Hungama instead dates his debut film, the Bengali *Dadu* directed by Ajit Gangapadhyaya, to its release on [Valentine's Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/valentines-day) 1969, which began his 50th year in films in 2018[1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/) • [7](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/bappi-lahiri-legend/). The Google Arts & Culture profile places his first composed song for a Bengali film, *Dadu*, in his teens[2](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en).
After moving to Bombay, his first Hindi film as composer was *Nanha Shikari* (1973)[1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/). The film that established him in Bollywood was Tahir Husain's *Zakhmee* (1975), for which he composed the music and also sang playback; the song "Aao Tumhain Chaand Pe Le Jayein" came from this film[1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/) • [2](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en). *Chalte Chalte* (1976) followed, with "Mere Yeh Geet Yaad Rakhna", which became his signature song[1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/) • [3](https://fianynjct.org/bi-weekly/pdf/DIASPORA-BI-WEEKLY-Wednesday-March-02-2022-Issue57.pdf). Through the 1970s he worked largely on small films with intense melodies, alongside a few larger projects such as *Lahu Ke Do Rang*[7](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/bappi-lahiri-legend/).
## The disco era
The turning point came with the action film *Suraksha*, for which he composed "Mausam Hai Gaane Ka"; Bollywood Hungama credits this single experiment with beginning the disco culture in Hindi films[7](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/bappi-lahiri-legend/). In the 1980s he became known as the "Disco King" for cult soundtracks such as *Disco Dancer* (1982) and *Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki* (1984)[2](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en). *Disco Dancer*, directed by B. Subhash with [Mithun Chakraborty](https://www.edgepedia.org/mithun-chakraborty) in the title role and Lahiri as music director, made Chakraborty a star for the masses and fixed Lahiri's public identity as India's disco king[3](https://fianynjct.org/bi-weekly/pdf/DIASPORA-BI-WEEKLY-Wednesday-March-02-2022-Issue57.pdf).
Lahiri traced the sound to a specific source. He said he visited the United States in 1979, where *Saturday Night Fever* was a hit, and he cited the [Bee Gees](https://www.edgepedia.org/bee-gees)' disco songs on that soundtrack as a model[8](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/bappi-lahiri-they-call-me-king-of-disco/20220216.htm). In his own words, "Disco (genre) I have created, and from 1980s to 1990s, the only disco era that was happening (in Bollywood) was all Bappi Lahiri"[9](https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/i-have-created-disco-music-says-bappi-lahiri-117090300315_1.html).
Underlining the breadth of that run, dancefloor hits kept coming through the decade: "Hari Om Hari" (*Pyaara Dushman*, 1980), "Ramba Ho Ho" (*Armaan*, 1981), "Disco Station" (*Hathkadi*, 1981), and "Jawani Jaaneman" (*Namak Halal*, 1982)[10](https://www.rediff.com/movies/special/what-made-bappi-lahiri-such-a-rage/20251127.htm). He also worked in a classical register: "Ke pag ghunghroo bandh Meera" (*Namak Halal*, 1982) was based on raag Darbari, "Dard ki raagini" (*Pyaas*, 1984) on raag Abhogi Kanada, and "Kisi nazar ko tera intezaar" (*Aitbaar*, 1985) on raag Bhairavi[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/bappi-lahiri-the-man-with-the-golden-touch-5239946/).
## Borrowed melodies and copyright
Part of the disco boom rested on western source material. "Jimmy...", the defining song of *Disco Dancer*, borrows its central refrain from the 1980 melody "T'es OK" by the French duo Ottawan, and "Hari Om Hari" was lifted from "One-Way Ticket"; the Indian Express places this within Bollywood's long history of "inspired" music[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/bappi-lahiri-taught-a-generation-that-music-could-be-loads-of-fun-7781327/). Lahiri himself litigated when the borrowing ran the other way: he sued the musician [Dr. Dre](https://www.edgepedia.org/dr-dre) for copying his track "Kaliyan ka chaman" from *Jyoti* (1981) in the song "Addictive" from the album *Truth Hurts*, and won the copyright case[4](https://femina.wwmindia.com/magazines/2022/march/Filmfare_Mar_2022.pdf). "Addictive" reached the top 10 of the UK and US charts, and after a two-year battle Lahiri's contribution was acknowledged; in the same period he said he had been nominated for the [Grammy Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/grammy-awards) three times[13](https://www.telegraphindia.com/7-days/gold-fingers/cid/339613).
## Awards and later work
Lahiri won the Filmfare Award for *Sharaabi* (1984), a soundtrack whose songs earned Kishore Kumar all the best-singer nominations that year, and he received the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018[4](https://femina.wwmindia.com/magazines/2022/march/Filmfare_Mar_2022.pdf) • [1](https://www.bappilahiri.com/). His wife Chitrani co-produced, with Dulal Roy, the Bengali film *Lal Darja* (1997), which won a National Award for Best Film[13](https://www.telegraphindia.com/7-days/gold-fingers/cid/339613).
He remained active in later decades. He sang "Ooh La La" with [Shreya Ghoshal](https://www.edgepedia.org/shreya-ghoshal) under Vishal-Shekhar's music in *The Dirty Picture* (2011), and his compositions "Tune Maari Entriyaan" (*Gunday*, 2014) and "Tamma Tamma Again" (*Badrinath Ki Dulhania*, 2017) charted decades after the originals[14](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2022/epaper/february/bhopal-english-edition-2022-02-17.pdf) • [15](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bappi-lahiri/5895457). His last song as a singer was "Bhankas" from *Baaghi 3* (2020)[14](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2022/epaper/february/bhopal-english-edition-2022-02-17.pdf).
## Death and legacy
Lahiri died in Mumbai on 15 February 2022 at the age of 69. A memorial notice reproduced by [The Indian Express](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-indian-express) recorded the cause as obstructive sleep apnea, while AllMusic reports that he died after contracting a lung infection[5](https://teachmint.storage.googleapis.com/public/139009903/StudyMaterial/ac9edd6d-07be-4a4e-87d2-b642acbaf8a5.pdf) • [16](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bappi-lahiri-mn0000122037). His son, the musician Bappa Lahiri, said afterward that the composer's unreleased music, including Bengali songs, would be released[17](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/bappi-lahiri-felt-he-deserved-padma-bhushan-more-than-many-recent-winners-son-bappa-reveals-1928011-2022-03-22).
By 2018, the walls of his Juhu bungalow held more than 100 framed discs celebrating the sales of his soundtracks across a 45-year career[11](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/bappi-lahiri-the-man-with-the-golden-touch-5239946/). His disco style blended upbeat western instrumentation with singing aimed at the emotional heft of traditional Bollywood melody[12](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/bappi-lahiri-taught-a-generation-that-music-could-be-loads-of-fun-7781327/), and his soundtracks are credited with introducing Indian cinema to the disco revolution of the 1980s[2](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en).
## References
1. [Bappi Lahiri, The Official Website of the Disco King](https://www.bappilahiri.com/)
2. [Bappi Lahiri – The Trendsetter of the 80s, Google Arts & Culture (Shemaroo)](https://artsandculture.google.com/story/bappi-lahiri-%E2%80%93-the-trendsetter-of-the-80s-shemaroo/kwUB5dELYori8w?hl=en)
3. [The FIA Fraternity in the USA mourns Bappi Lahiri, Diaspora Bi-Weekly (2 March 2022)](https://fianynjct.org/bi-weekly/pdf/DIASPORA-BI-WEEKLY-Wednesday-March-02-2022-Issue57.pdf)
4. [Filmfare, March 2022 issue](https://femina.wwmindia.com/magazines/2022/march/Filmfare_Mar_2022.pdf)
5. [Indian Express memorial report on Bappi Lahiri's death (reproduced study material PDF)](https://teachmint.storage.googleapis.com/public/139009903/StudyMaterial/ac9edd6d-07be-4a4e-87d2-b642acbaf8a5.pdf)
6. [Music and lyrics: The other Bappi Lahiri, Scroll.in](https://scroll.in/latest/994500/andhra-pradesh-cm-defends-plan-to-turn-government-schools-into-english-medium-institutions)
7. [Why Bappi Lahiri is a legend, Bollywood Hungama (2018)](https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/bappi-lahiri-legend/)
8. [Bappi Lahiri: 'They call me King of Disco', Rediff.com (2022)](https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/bappi-lahiri-they-call-me-king-of-disco/20220216.htm)
9. [I have created disco music, says Bappi Lahiri, Business Standard/IANS (2017)](https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/i-have-created-disco-music-says-bappi-lahiri-117090300315_1.html)
10. [What Made Bappi Lahiri Such A Rage, Rediff.com (2025)](https://www.rediff.com/movies/special/what-made-bappi-lahiri-such-a-rage/20251127.htm)
11. [Bappi Lahiri: The Man With the Golden Touch, The Indian Express (2018)](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/bappi-lahiri-the-man-with-the-golden-touch-5239946/)
12. [Bappi Lahiri taught a generation that music could be loads of fun, The Indian Express (2022)](https://indianexpress.com/article/express-sunday-eye/bappi-lahiri-taught-a-generation-that-music-could-be-loads-of-fun-7781327/)
13. [Gold fingers, The Telegraph India (2013)](https://www.telegraphindia.com/7-days/gold-fingers/cid/339613)
14. [Bappi Lahiri obituary coverage, Daily Pioneer e-paper (17 February 2022)](https://www.dailypioneer.com/uploads/2022/epaper/february/bhopal-english-edition-2022-02-17.pdf)
15. [Bappi Lahiri, Apple Music artist page](https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bappi-lahiri/5895457)
16. [Bappi Lahiri, AllMusic biography](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bappi-lahiri-mn0000122037)
17. [Bappi Lahiri felt he deserved Padma Bhushan, son Bappa reveals, India Today (2022)](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/celebrities/story/bappi-lahiri-felt-he-deserved-padma-bhushan-more-than-many-recent-winners-son-bappa-reveals-1928011-2022-03-22)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › World, regional traditional, and non-Western popular musicians › South Asian classical, folk, and playback musicians*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license