Veteran singer-composer Alokesh alias Bappi Lahiri - nephew of the legendary trio of late Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar and Anoop Kumar - passed away last week on Feb 15 due to multiple health issues. Wielding the baton from the age of 19, Lahiri, 69, breathed his last at a Mumbai hospital. The final rites of the legendary singer were performed by his son Bappa who immediately returned to India from LA after hearing the news.
A week after the singer's demise, Bappa opened up about the final moments of the singer. "He was in the hospital for a large part of last month. But every time I called him, he said he's getting better. On Monday (February 14) he said he wants to go home; he kept saying 'ghar chalo ghar chalo'," he told ETimes.
"Next day, he was not eating. Things weren't looking nice since that evening (February 15). Mom told him 'theek hai baad mein thoda kha lena'. We had two nurses. He started feeling very drowsy. We called the doctor," he added.
Related | What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA); condition that Bappi Lahiri suffered from
It was reported that the reason behind Bappi Da's demise was breathing issues due to OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea). However, Bappa shares it was something else. "No, it wasn't a breathing issue. I think his heart just stopped. My sister, brother-in-law and mother rushed him to the hospital. The doctor had been called and he said that he needs to be taken to the hospital. They reached the hospital but he couldn't be revived. I was on the phone all the time," he told the publication.
Born in West Bengal, Lahiri first composed music for a Bengali film 'Daadu' and launched his Bollywood career with a film, 'Nanha Shikari'. He shot to global fame with his chartbusting music for "Disco Dancer" and the song 'Jimmy, Jimmy, Aaja, Aaja...", and later the superhit music for "Zakhmee", "Lahu Ke Do Rang".
Lahiri - who attained fame as India's first 'Disco King' - is survived by his wife, Chitrani, daughter Rema and a son Bappa, who has taken to his dad's musical career.
