Bappi Lahiri’s special tuning with Lata Mangeshkar

It seems as if Bappi Lahiri decided to join his Saraswati Mata up there where they can create some more divine music.

Indeed Bappi’s tuning with his Mata Saraswati was divine.

“I had Lataji’s blessings from the beginning. Whatever Bappi Lahiri is today is because of my parents and Lataji. She’s my Saraswati. It was because of her support that Bappi Lahiri could establish himself in Mumbai. Otherwise who would have given Bappi a chance when stalwarts composers like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, R D Burman and Kalyanji-Anandji were around?” Bappida once told me emotionally.

He was extremely proud of the songs that Lataji sang for him. “Whether it was Thoda resham lagta hai and Sooni sej sajaa doon in Jyoti, Zid na karo in Lahoo Ke Do Rang, Jab se mile naina and Deewani deewani in First Love Letter,Nainon mein sapna in Himmatwala or the Bangla song Sab lal pathor in the film Mondira, Mata Saraswati gave special something to my compositions each time. She made sure her songs for her mooh-bola beta(foster son) were extra-special. I may be more known for Disco station and Tamma tamma loge. But my creations for Mata Saraswati were divine.”

Lataji too was all praise for Bappida. “Bappi is very close to me and the family. I sang for his father(Aparesh Lahiri) who was a big composer in Bengal. Then I sang for Bappi from the time he began his career. One of my Bappi Lahiri compositions Thoda resham lagta hai was re-mixed by an American group. Quite frankly I didn’t remember this number at all. When I heard it in the number by Truth Hurts I asked my family where it was from. It was they who told me that I had sung it in a film called Jyoti. I had no idea who ‘Truth Hurts’ was. Since Jyoti stars Hema Malini, who’s one of my favourite actresses, I made it a point to watch Jyoti when it came on television. I didn’t mind it being used in the American song because Truth Hurts hasn’t tampered with my voice or the composition in any way. I don’t think any composer in Hindi cinema had the range of Bappida except R D Burman. From the raga based Dard ki ragini in Pyaas to Thoda resham lagta hai, I sang every kind of song for Bappi.”