Rituparna Sengupta: Bappi Da’s attitude was that of a fighter; he never had any brooding moments – Times of India


One of his last projects was a Durga Puja song, which he recorded last year with Rituparna Sengupta. As the legendary singer and composer passed away, the Bengali actress looks back at some fond memories. From coaxing her to turn singer to pushing her to take up work in Hindi films – Rituparna recollects how Bappi Da guided her through.

“Bappi Da was like an extended family to me. He was my beloved big brother. His house was like my second home whenever I visited Mumbai. He is a part of our family. And this news has left my entire family broken,” says the actress, controlling her tears while talking to Bombay Times early in the morning.

The late singer was the reason the actress explored singing. “I remember I was shooting for a film in Mumbai and Bappi Da called me up. He said you must come home and I am going to record a song with you. I told him that I cannot sing, but he praised my voice and insisted I try my hand at it. Then for three consecutive days we did rehearsals where he explained to me the lyrics and the emotion of the song. When I went behind the mic I was extremely nervous but he pushed me again and we did it. This Durga Puja song called Phoolmati was loved by many and we were discussing working on the Hindi version of the song,” she shares.

“Through my journey as an actor I got the opportunity to collaborate with him on multiple projects. Not just as a singer, I also got to act with him in a film called It’s Rocking: Dard-E-Disco,” says Rituparna who feels that Bappi Da having contributed so much to the world of music didn’t get his due.

“He mesmerised me with the range of songs he offered that ran through multiple genre and languages. He is an inspiration to millions and also left his presence in Hollywood. Work aside; he was the greatest human being I ever met in my life. He was so emotional and warm to his entire unit. I have never seen this man get angry. His attitude towards life was like a fighter. He never stepped back…he kept saying the next thing I want to do is this or that. He always wanted to explore more. He believed in living life to the fullest. He never had any brooding or grim moments. He always told me that it’s just a phase and he will move on. He has seen me grow in my career. He always coaxed me to take up work in Hindi films. Every time I came to Mumbai I would visit him and he would treat me to such lovely food. His table would always be full of some lip-smacking dishes. He would never let his guests leave without having meals,” she remembers.

As she signs off, she says she is looking forward to this one thing now, which will be one of her fondest memories associated with Bappi Da, “My upcoming film Amar Labongolata features Bappi Da’s music. I just can’t wait for it.”

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