When Bappi Lahiri said without Lata Mangeshkar’s support, he would have been ‘swept away by the competition’

Bappi Lahiri, who died at the age of 69 on Tuesday, had once recalled how Lata Mangeshkar helped him in his career. Lata Mangeshkar died on February 6 - less than 2 weeks after her death, Bappi Lahiri died in Mumbai due to multiple health issues. 

In an old interview, the Disco Dancer composer recalled how Lata Mangeshkar visited their home when he was just a kid and 'supported' him in the years that followed. 

In a 2012 interview with ETimes, Bappi had 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."

He added, "My first big Bollywood hit score was Aamir Khan's father Tahir Hussain's Zakhmee. In that Lataji sang Abhi abhi thi dushmani and Aao tujhe chand pe le jaaon. Both big hits. That film also had the Asha-Kishore duet Jalta hai jiya mera bhigi-bhigi raaton mein which was a rage. Then there were melodies in the films Chalte Chalte and Aap Ki Khatir (which had the chartbuster Bambai se aaya mera dost) which are hummed to this day. That's how it all began for me."

Bappi Lahiri breathed his last on Tuesday night at Mumbai's CritiCare Hospital in Juhu. He died due to several health issues. The last rites of the singer-composer will be held on Thursday. 

Bappi's last appearance on the screen was with actor Salman Khan on reality show Bigg Boss 15, on which he was promoted his grandson Swastik's new song Baccha Party. His last Bollywood song titled Bhankas was for the 2020 film Baaghi 3.