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Bappi Lahiri, the king of Bollywood disco, dies at 69

By Lauren Frayer
Published February 16, 2022 at 2:08 AM EST
Indian Bollywood music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri poses during the Christmas and New Year's Bollywood Disco Carnival in Mumbai in December 2015.
STR
/
AFP via Getty Images
Indian Bollywood music composer and singer Bappi Lahiri poses during the Christmas and New Year's Bollywood Disco Carnival in Mumbai in December 2015.

Updated February 16, 2022 at 12:50 PM ET

The king is dead. The king of Bollywood disco, that is.

Singer-composer Bappi Lahiri died in India late Tuesday night. He was 69.

Lahiri famously brought a disco vibe to India's biggest film industry. He composed dozens of hits in the 1970s and '80s — which appeared in many top Bollywood movies.

He was also known for flashy fashion. Lahiri, a huge fan of Elvis, was rarely photographed without his signature gold chains and sunglasses.

The star died overnight in a Mumbai hospital. He had survived COVID-19 last year but had several other health problems.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his condolences, saying Lahiri's "lively nature will be missed by everyone."

This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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Lauren Frayer
Lauren Frayer covers India for NPR News. In June 2018, she opened a new NPR bureau in India's biggest city, its financial center, and the heart of Bollywood—Mumbai.
See stories by Lauren Frayer