Nov 30 2015

6 surprising hits by Bappi Lahiri

by   Shriram Iyengar

The perennial rap-disco-swing tripper who made immortal songs like 'You Are My Chicken Fry' and 'Bongo Bongo' also composed some soulful melodies. Here are some surprisingly classy hits from the Disco Deewana!

1 Kisi nazar ko tera intezaar aaj bhi hai

This pleasing ghazal sung in the voice of Bhupinder Singh became a cult classic for several years. Mukul Anand's Aitbaar was a take on the Hitchcock classic 'Dial M for Murder'. It had Suresh Oberoi and Raj Babbar vying for the affections of Dimple Kapadia. This beautiful number picturised on Suresh Oberoi and Dimple Kapadia would become the calling card of many a broken heart for years to come.

2 Chalte Chalte

As a singer, Kishore Kumar had the ability to read a phone book and make it sound beautiful. But this wonderful title track from the film 'Chalte Chalte' deserves its evergreen status. One of Bappi Lahiri's early compositions, this remains a highly popular number among his pre-disco fans.

3 Maana ho tum

Shekhar Kapur romancing Shabana Azmi on a secluded beach. But behind the magic of these two future powerhouses of parallel cinema lies the wonderful composition of Bappi da. In Yesudas' inimitable voice, this is a mesmerising romantic number that still strikes a chord today.

4 Pyaar maanga hai tumhi se

In a film that had some stunningly bad compositions, this Kishore Kumar number stands out. Picturised on a very young Sachin and Bindiya Goswami, the song topped the charts in 1978. The film, sadly, did not make much noise and is long forgotten.

5 Manzilein apni jagah

It is obvious that Bappi da was just as gifted at composing ghazals as he was at disco numbers. This wonderful number from the film Sharaabi reminds us why RD Burman once called him one of the more talented composers of his generation.

6 Ke pag ghungroo baandh meera naachi thi

The final song on the list is in the composer's familiar territory of Discoland. In 'Ke pag ghungroo...', the disco magic of Bappi Lahiri and the awesome naughtiness of Kishore da's voice combine to create a classy fusion number. With snazzy cabaret dancers, flashing lights all over the place, and Amitabh in fine form, the song remains a popular number for fans of the Big B and Bappi Da alike.

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