Bappi Lahiri, who passed away last week, was responsible for changing the sonic nature of the Indian film song. He was not only a composer but also a vocalist and could play a number of instruments.

He was born in a family of musicians in Bengal. His extended family included vocalists like Kishore Kumar, who was also a pioneer of making film singing more inclusive by not retaining the relative purity of vocalisation. Kumar was open to international influences which came to the subcontinent through the composers and instrumentalists of the West. For hereditary musicians, the process of growing up includes familiarisation with and playing of various instruments and genres. Of course, familiarisation is one thing and being good at something is another. It appears that Lahiri was competent in whatever he wanted to do, including singing.

He first made ‘synthesised disco music’ work effectively in the cinema of his home province, Bengal. He then explored other sectors of cinema industry in the subcontinent including Telugu, Gujarati, Kannada and Tamil.

He then applied his lessons to the mainstream Hindi cinema; best exemplified by the label Bollywood, and achieved a great deal of success, changing permanently the sonic face of the music in the films. He was particularly popular in the 1980s and ’90s.

As a medium, the film is more prone to changes in technology for it came into existence due to the invention of the camera which could capture the moving image and then the recording of sound and its synchronisation with that moving image. Those who were more receptive to changes did well for themselves and the medium, rather than the purists. The huge commercial enterprise and the involvement of big money in the medium made it an industry where success at the box office assumed critical importance.

Lahiri got his first opportunity in Bengali film Daadu in 1974 where he made Lata Mangeshkar sing his composition. His Bengali film successes were: Amar Sangee, Asha O Bhalobhasa, Aamar Tume Amar Prem, Mandira, Raktelekha and Priya. His work in Bollywood followed from there. The first Hindi film for which he composed music was Nanha Shikari. His first Hindi composition was Tu Hi Mera Chanda, sung by Mukesh. He went on to compose music for many more films including Naya Kadam, Aangan Ki Kali, Wardat, Disco Dancer, Hathkari, Namak Halaal, Masterji, Dance Dance, Himmatwala, Justice Chaudhry, Tohfa, Maqsad, Commando, Gang Leader, Sailaab and Sharaabi.

He composed some of the great melodious songs including those in Chaltay Chaltay and Zakhmee. Zakhmee, in fact, was his real breakthrough. For this he composed a duet with Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar titled: Nothing Is Impossible. For the same film, his compositions Jalta Hai Jiya Mera, a Kishore-Asha duet, and Lata Mangeshkar’s solos: Abhi Abhi Thi Dushmani and Aao Tumhe Chand became popular and brought him greater recognition.

The duet Phir Janam Laingay Hum, sung by Kishore and Lata, became famous from the film Phir Janam Laingay Hum. All songs from the film Chaltay Chaltay became hits, bringing him recognition as a music director at national level. He sang a duet with Sulakshana Pandit, titled Jana Kahan Hai that gave him recognition as a singer.

He also composed music for some ghazals, including Kisi Nazar Ko Tera Intezaar Aaj Bhi Hai and Aawaz Di Hai for the 1985 film Aitbaar. He was also behind some of the great melodious songs sung by Kishore Kumar either as duets with Asha Bhosle or Lata Mangeshkar in the films starring Rajesh Khanna in the 1980s. The super hit films included Naya Kadam, Masterji, Aaj Ka MLA Ram Avatar, Bewafai, Maqsad, Suraagh, Insaaf Main Karoonga, and Adhikaar. After the success of the film Himmatwala, Bappi Lahiri regularly composed duets sung by Kishore Kumar for films, starring Jeetendra in Justice Chaudhry, Jaani Dost, Mawali, Haisiyat, Tohfa, Balidaan, Qaidi, Hoshiyaar, Sinhasan, Suhaagan, Majaal, Tamasha, Sonay Peh Suhaga and Dharm.

Going with the flow in 2016, Lahiri voiced the character of Tamatoa in the Hindi-dubbed version of Disney’s 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure film Moana. He also composed and sang Shona the Hindi version of Shiny. This was his first time dubbing for an animated character. He also appeared in Ramtaran’s song Yeh Hai Dance Bar.

Bappi Lahiri made some kind of a record by composing for 12 super-hit silver jubilee movies starring Jetendra in the lead in mid-1980s and entered the Guinness Book of World Records for recording 180 songs for 33 films in 1986.

He also won the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.

The author is a  culture critic based in Lahore