Bappi Lahiri’s photos from his childhood with ‘Maa’ Lata Mangeshkar to becoming a music composer go viral on the internet

February 16, 2022 - 1:08 PM IST

In a span of weeks, India lost two of its legendary musicians, Lata Mangeshkar and Bappi Lahiri. Both of them passed away after prolonged age-related issues. Today, it was reported that music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri, who was famously known for his disco music in the 80s and 90s in the Indian music industry, passed away at Mumbai's CritiCare Hospital. He was 69 and was suffering from several health issues.

Bappi Lahiri’s photos from his childhood with ‘Maa’ Lata Mangeshkar to becoming a music composer go viral on the internet

According to an official statement from the hospital, "Bappi Lahiri was suffering from OSA- Obstructive Sleep Apnea and recurrent chest infection. He was treated by Dr.Deepak Namjoshi. He was hospitalised in Criticare Hospital, Juhu for 29 days with this. He recovered well and was discharged home on 15 February. However, after a day at home, his health again deteriorated and he was brought back to Criticare hospital Juhu in a critical state and succumbed to his illness at about 11.45 pm. He suffered from a Covid infection last year. He had OSA for the last 1 year. He was admitted on multiple occasions to Criticare Hospital under treatment of Dr.Deepak Namjoshi and recovered on all occasions."

On the day Lata Mangeshkar passed away, Bappi Lahiri had paid tribute to the late singer by sharing a childhood photo of himself with the singer. He had simply captioned the picture as 'Maa'.

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A post shared by Bappi Lahiri (@bappilahiri_official_)

He spoke to Bollywood Hungama while paying tribute to late singer Lata Mangeshkar. He said, “Many say she was the reincarnation of Mata Saraswati. I say she was sakshaat Saraswati Mata. Unko main hazaar pranaam karta hoon. In her going, I’ve lost my mother all over again. I have been in her lap when I was a toddler. When I had Covid last year, I was at Breach Candy hospital for fourteen days. Maa called my wife every day…every single day at 7 pm sharp. Even when I came home from the hospital, she was extremely concerned, especially about my voice.”

Bappi fondly recalled Lata visiting his home and said, “I was 4 when in the Eden Garden locality of Kolkata where we lived; Lataji came home and blessed me. I still have a picture of me sitting in her lap. She sang many Bangla songs for my father (Aparesh Lahiri) who was a well-known composer in Kolkata. From then on she has supported me. She sang my first composition in a Bengali film Daadu. If she hadn’t sung for me, I’d have been swept away by the competition. She sang for the first time in Hindi for me in Chalte Chalte. Her songs ‘Pyar Mein Kabhi Kabhi’ and ‘Dur Dur Tum Rahe’ are hummed to this day.”

He reminisced, “I am one of the lucky composers alive for whom she sang so many songs. How unfortunate are those composers who don’t know what her voice means to a song. The songs that she sang for me, like ‘Soonee Sej Saja Doon’ (Jyoti), ‘Sooni Sooni Raahein’ (Phir Janam Lenge Hum), ‘Aao Tumhe Chand Pe Le Jayen’ (Zakhmee), ‘Saiya Bina Ghar Soona’ (Aangan Ki Kali) and ‘Chanda Dekhe Chanda’ (Joothi) are my most precious compositions.”

Bappi Lahiri's photos from his childhood with 'Maa' Lata Mangeshkar to becoming a music composer go viral on the internet

He had further said, “When I hear this song, I know why I call her Mata Saraswati. She is beyond incredible. I don’t know how Kishore Mama would have sung ‘Milne Se Pehle’ in Aag Hi Aag. But after hearing how Mata Saraswati sang it, we were sure there was nothing more that could be done with these heart-breaking lyrics by Anjaan.”

But the one composition for Lataji that Bappida is proudest of is ‘Kaliyon Ka Chaman’. “This song from the film Jyoti was picked up by the famous American rappers Truth Hurts and used by them.”

Lata Mangeshkar and Bappi Lahiri worked several times together and gave some evergreen songs to the country including 'Kaliyon Kaa Chaman', 'Gori hai Kalaiyaan', 'O Saiyaan Deewane', 'Sooni Sej Saja Doon', 'Aao Tumhen Chand Pe Le Jayen' and many more songs.