MUMBAI — Veteran singer-music director Bappi Lahiri — who wielded the baton at the age of 17 — passed away here in the early hours of Wednesday, an official said.

He was 69 and breathed his last in the Criticare Hospital where he was admitted for certain post-Covid issues.

Born in West Bengal, Lahiri first composed music for a Bengali film ‘Daadu’ and launched his Bollywood career with a film, ‘Nanha Shikari’.

He shot to global fame with his chartbusting music for “Disco Dancer” and the song ‘Jimmy, Jimmy, Aaja, Aaja…”, and later the superhit music for “Zakhmee”, “Lahu Ke Do Rang”.

Prominent Bollywood personalities have expressed shock and condoled the demise of Lahiri, who was fondly known as ‘Bappi Da’ in the industry.