Asha Bhosle stated in a new interview that she wanted to meet Bappi Lahiri but was unable to do so. She also voiced her grief after learning of the iconic musician’s death.

On Tuesday night, singer-composer Bappi Lahiri died of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). He was renowned in India for introducing and popularising disco music. He was 69 years old.

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In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, Asha expressed her desire to meet him, saying, “I even requested my driver that I must go and meet him, but he warned me ‘in this COVID-era, if something happens to him after your visit, you would be responsible.’ I even assured him he couldn’t be infected since I wasn’t.” On February 6, Asha lost her sister, famous vocalist Lata Mangeshkar.

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“I was then instructed that I couldn’t go to anyone’s house at that time. People will claim, ‘Asha came here,’ if something bad happens. I was persuaded in this way and was unable to meet him. And now I learn that he has died unexpectedly. It’s heartbreaking. He was such a joyful man, and he constantly smiled at anything people said to him. Within ten days, we lost a vocalist and a music composer, which is a significant loss for the music industry. Their admirers are devastated,” she remarked.

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Bappi and Asha collaborated on a number of hit songs, including Namak Halaal’s Aaj Rapat Jayein and Raat Baaqi. They also collaborated on several Bengali songs, including Jano Na Ki Toi and Prem Kise Hoy. They collaborated on around 500 songs.

Bappi Lahiri was also widely known for his unique outfits, which included gold chains, gold embellishments, velvety jackets, and sunglasses, in addition to his popular disco-electronic songs.