Artistes here reacted with shock and disbelief as Bappi Lahiri, the king of disco pop, breathed his last at the age of 69, hours after legendary Bengali singer Sandhya Mukhopadhyay left for her heavenly abode.
The singer-composer, who regaled audience with his foot-stomping music for several decades, was born in Jalpaiguri to Aparesh and Bansuri Lahiri, both musicians. He was popular for his groovy music and sartorial style in Mumbai and Kolkata alike.
Some of his popular Bengali numbers such as Aaj ei dinta ke, sung by his maternal uncle and legendary Kishore Kumar, have gone on to become love anthems for generations.
Music composer Debojyoti Mishra recalled his last encounter with Bappi da at a five-star hotel in Kolkata in 2019.
"Bappida was at the lobby of a hotel, waiting for someone to take him to an event. We chatted for about an hour even as a live band played nearby. He was impressed with my work, and appreciated the fact that I work with so many hands (instrumentalists)," Mishra said.
He pointed out that the king of disco-pop had also composed slow numbers and songs with a classical base, some of which had gone on to become big hits.
"Charting a path different from that of R D Burman, Bappi Lahiri formed his own style in the disco genre. Every single note of his compositions was clearly defined. Such was his command over the medium. Not many know he was a gifted tabla player," he said.
Ruing the fact that the industry would never recover from the losses it experienced over the past few days, Mishra said, "First Sandhya di, and now Bappi da. Both of them were amazing human beings. People may not know that Sandhyadi used to distribute chocolates among every member of her musical troupe during functions or recordings? You won't come across such people now."
Bengali film superstar Prosenjit Chatterjee said he had fond memories of both the musicians.
"It is a double blow on me. I shared cordial relations with both of them," he said.
"Bappi da gifted me Chirodini Tumi Je Amar for my film Amar Sangi, a song that went on to become a blockbuster hit. People still ask me to croon the song at functions. I still can't believe he is gone.
"He composed music for many of my films. Bappi da will remain in people's hearts forever," Chatterjee noted.
Lahiri's first venture in the Bengali film industry was Daadu' in 1972. He made his debut in the Hindi film industry with Nanha Shikari', a year later.
Notable among his works in Tollywood include compositions in Ogo Bodhu Shundori, Asha o Bhalobasha and Guru Dakshina.
Rituparna Sengupta, one of the Bengali film industry's top actors, said Lahiri was an elder brother to her.
Sengupta said she was shocked to have heard of his untimely demise".
Music composer and singer Santanu Moitra said "Bappi da's songs celebrated life.
Lyricist Shiladitya Choudhury, a friend of the Lahiri family, recalled his numerous visits to the music composer's Juhu villa.
"A room on the ground floor has all his awards, mementos, certificates, pictures and albums on display. Visiting that room on the ground floor of his villa was nothing short of a pilgrimage for me. And he was a true blue Bengali who loved to treat guests to delicacies," Chowdhury added.