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He might look like Kung Fu Panda dressed in the best 80s kitsch but no one deserves to feature more on a food blog than a man who came on to the stage and talked about how music legends such as Kishore Kumar  and him would come to the Bandra Notun Polly Durga Puja to gorge on cutlets and chops. Or sings songs where the lyrics go ‘aami Kolkata roshogolla’ (I am Kolkata’s rassagulla). Rather honest I thought.

And of course, ‘I am your chicken fry. I am your fish fry’.

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To the bunch of us 70s born 80s children listening to one of the last rock stars belt out the Bengali and  Hindi film numbers we had grown up to, from hand shaking distance, was a surreal experience.

There we were on the fourth row on the Nobomi Night Programme at the Notun Polly Bandra Durga Pooja, cheering, screaming, swaying, singing, clapping, clicking tweeting as he crooned out hits from Sharabi, Disco Dancer, Ghayal then the Bengali chirodine, gur dokhina, ogo bodhu shundori. From kirtans or religious songs to the raunchy char gaya upar re.

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There was a whole bunch of us at the covered performance area who re-lived our growing up days as Bappida gave a non lip synced live performance in between a 80s Kokata-like power cut and a break to introduce his son who was on the drums and whom I’d earlier asked to move as he was blocking my view. His daughter, a hefty powerful singer and the Indian Idol 3 winner too.

Before and after the GM diet (Indian Idol 3 winner Charu from what I gathered)

Bappida with Charu Indian Idol 3 winner                SONY DSC

First the audio went and then the power:

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Soumik wanted to get up and dance but the other kids beat him to it

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Suddenly his daughter sashayed on to the stage with a very powerful voice

 Bappida's daughter

Son, Bappa Lahiri, rocks the beat under his dad’s shadow

 his son Bappa Lahiri under his dad' shadow

 

The last night of the Puja Nobomi slipped into the last morning Doshomi as our group headed to our place for an impromptu party.

We closed the last night of the puja over a dinner from Khaane Khaas and two Flurys dark chocolates from Kolkata which seemed to have been waiting for this bunch of Kolkatans to drop in.

So rock on Bappi Da. We laabh you too.

Aaschhe Bochhor aabar hobe.

As Jeet texted me, ‘who needs Elvis?”.

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This is my twitter feed from the night in descending order of time:

Kalyan Karmakar

Finelychopped Kalyan Karmakar

Nobomi continues into doshomi with the #Bappidaatbandrapujo crowd coming home for adda over Khaane khaas & flurys chocolate

Finelychopped Kalyan Karmakar

‘Kalbi alvida na ke kehena’ and so ends #Bappidaatbandrapujo

‘Char gya upar re ‘ #Bappidaatbandrapujo

E amar guru dokhina. Kishore Mama e geye onek award peyechhe #Bappidaatbandrapujo

RT @fossfan: @Finelychopped @dhunji @additiyom @debolin_bbcmags I can now die. I heard bappida sing you are my chicken fry!!!

Yes we will do disco on the stage @surekhapillai #Bappidaatbandrapujo

You could have been here @surekhapillai #Bappidaatbandrapujo http://lockerz.com/s/144615743

4 hours ago Favorite Reply Delete

@dhunji @Finelychopped @additiyom @fossfan Hari Om Hari! Rocking the audience, he is. #BappidaatBandraPuja

You are my chicken fry you are my fish fry #Bappidaatbandrapujo no lip syncin here

‘Pyar maanga hain tumhi se’ #Bappidaatbandrapujo

Adda over tweet up RT @dhunji:@additiyom: @Finelychopped I shld’v plnnd a pujo tweetup.. @debolin_bbcmags @dhunji @fossfan #DurgaPujaBandra"

He is a Disco Dancer #Bappidaatbandrapujo

De de pyar de pyar de pyar de re #Bappidaatbandrapujo

‘Kothai chhile electricity, koshto deele’ he is back with a smile. Oori Oori baba #Bappidaatbandrapujo

Two guys fanning THE man with what looks like 2 huge bed sheets #Bappidaatbandrapujo

‘Pyar maanga hain tumhi se’ #Bappidaatbandrapujo

 

Adda over tweet up RT @dhunji:@additiyom: @Finelychopped I shld’v plnnd a pujo tweetup.. @debolin_bbcmags @dhunji @fossfan #DurgaPujaBandra"

He is a Disco Dancer #Bappidaatbandrapujo

De de pyar de pyar de pyar de re #Bappidaatbandrapujo

‘Kothai chhile electricity, koshto deele’ he is back with a smile. Oori Oori baba #Bappidaatbandrapujo

kar

Two guys fanning THE man with what looks like 2 huge bed sheets #Bappidaatbandrapujo

Load shedding. What bengal thinks today …. #Bappidaatbandrapujo

Sound goes just as bappa begins to drum. Avoid the 4th row if you throw chairs please #Bappidaatbandrapujo authentic kolkata touch

*aami kolkatar roshogolla’ and then ‘aami ek jon shanto shistho modhyobhitto bhodrolok’ #Bappidaatbandrapujo

Bappi Pappi specially for you @surekhapillai #Bappidaatbandrapujo http://lockerz.com/s/144602884

Turns out that guy I pushed aside from front of me was bappa lahiri son of #Bappidaatbandrapujo before the stage intro

Fish chop while he sings ‘intezar ho gayi’ #Bappidaatbandrapujo

 

Yaad aa raha hain and @bangdu walks in finally to meet #Bappidaatbandrapujo

@debolin_bbcmags http://lockerz.com/s/144594807 fourth row

 

THE man starts with chiro dini after talking of the cutlets he used to eat at the puja #Bappidaatbandrapujo http://lockerz.com/s/144596590

This is how he looks without the gold apparently #Bappidaatbandrapujo http://lockerz.com/s/144594807

 

Shubho nobomi from bandra durga puja http://lockerz.com/s/144593098

Bappi da aapni jekhanei thakun taratari pandal’e chole aashun #Bappidaatbandrapujo

So salads and soups 1st RT @debolin_bbcmags: @Finelychopped @dhunji BappiDa to make a late entrance! The audience waits in anticipation.

At the Notun Polly pujo waiting for my moghlai paratha and Bappida. Two different phenomena

Lo main aa gaya RT @debolin_bbcmags: @dhunji @Finelychopped BappiDa starts his glitzy show! #DurgaPujaBandra

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