Fondly called Bappi da, Indian cinema’s beloved music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri, who popularised disco beats in the 1980s and 90s breathed his last on Tuesday night. The legendary artist, who was popular across generations of music lovers, was equally famous for his style and love for gold accessories. Belonging to the food-loving state of Bengal, Bappi da also couldn’t do without his maach bhaat.
Preferred Simple Breakfast
A Bengali who made it big in Bollywood when it was not very common to make an impact. The persona of Bappi da, like his creations in music, was outstanding. While he was very active around the 80s and 90s, his last appearance on Bigg Boss 15 with Salman Khan garnered a lot of attention too. He shall live on with the magic of his melodies. He was also an avid foodie. Over the many talk shows and titbits, Bappi da revealed that he believed in eating simple. He preferred a light breakfast and had an affinity for fruits. He enjoyed fried eggs, coffee and toast, which is again a very Bengali touch to breakfast.
Love For Fish Was Real
Bappi da was mostly a vegetarian but spoke of his love for fish at times. The fact that he avoided sea fish and stuck to fresh river fish is not known to many. He fondly recalled that Kolkata shows meant lots of bhetki, rui and ilish maach. The singer of so many evergreen hits loved his tiger prawns fresh off the Ganga. Also, he, like a true Bong, loved his fish in mustard oil. Then again, he favoured Chinese cuisine too. He recalled in an interview once how he had had amazing fish fry in Tokyo.
The Bengali And His Bhaat
He had once stated that a Bengali babu will need some rice at some time of the day. Therefore, Bappi da loved his maach bhaat or his baigun bhaja, dal bhaat and posto for dinner. He particularly loved papad tarkari, a curry made with potato and papad (fried and soaked in vegetable curry).
Snacking As He Sang
His mid-recording snack would mostly be a chicken sandwich, but he kept cheese off the plate. Dessert-wise, he was a fan of lal doi and sandesh. Interestingly, he also loved phuchka, especially from the area around Victoria Memorial in the city of joy.
Bappi da was a teetotaler, but loved his chai and coffee. He stayed away from paan too. On this day, when our beloved Bappi da has left us forever, we can only hum “Yaad Aa Raha Hai...”.
About Author: Satarupa B. Kaur has been writing professionally for a decade now. But, always on the go, she loves to travel, books, playtime with her toddler as she explores new places and food!
