Disco Culture in India

The iconic 80s took the country by storm with their flashy lights, sequin clad women and Travolta-esque heroes. Although the early 2000s saw a brief comeback of the Disco Dancers, the 80s set the stage for Bollywood idols like Bappi Lahiri, Nazia Hussain, Usha Uthup and plenty of outstanding celebrities such as Zeenat Aman and the legendary Amitabh Bacchan.

Disco in India was characterized by repetitive catchy vocals, synthesized beats with emphasis on the drum sets and guitar. Basically,  disco as we know and love! In movies, the disco item numbers featured elaborate shiny outfits, snazzy headbands, dark spaces and illuminated dance floors.

While the disco culture spread across the country, nightclubs also began to adopt the colourful decor. The trendsetters were the actors of the decade which inspired their fanclubs to adopt their flamboyant style.  The outfits and the funky moves spread like wildfire across the nation.

Disco King Bappi lahiri

The frontrunner of disco in India, Bappi Lahiri dominated the music industry with hits like ‘Disco Dancer’ and ‘Jimmy Jimmy’. Although nearly 30 years have passed since their release, their popularity has not. Many of the King’s songs have been used in movies and TV shows as well as inspiration for other such groovy numbers. 

Mithun Chakraborty

Bappi Lahiri went hand in hand with Mithun Chakraborty, the face of his funk. They collaborated on most of the songs that made Mithun’s career. ‘ Disco Dancer’, ‘Jimmy jimmy jimmy aaja’, ‘auva auva’ and ‘ Yaad Aa Raha Hai’ are just a few of the hits they collaborated on. 

His song ‘Jimmy Jimmy’ was even featured in the hollywood film, ‘ Dont mess with the Zohan’.

Nazia Hassan

a teenage hit, was nicknamed the Queen of Pop in Asia. Her title song ‘Disco Deewane’ was a sky-rocketing success. The english cover even reached the UK top charts. Her songs were composed by Biddu and together they welcomed a new phase of pop music in India and Pakistan, converting everyone in their path to a disco ‘deewana’. 

Usha Uthup

Usha Uthup is another disco legend although she has many other genres in her repertoire. Her collaboration with Bappi Lahiri was the gift we all needed to capture the true essence of 80s. With their bold personalities and flashy show presence, they produced magic. One of their hit songs was ‘ Ramba Ho, Samba Ho’. Bappi Lahiri produced many of Usha’s songs and this kickstarted their lifelong friendship.

Film stars in Bollywood: Amitabh Bacchan, Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Shashi Kapoor and so many more

The disco decade worked wonders for the careers of many film stars and singers. 

Actresses expressed themselves while dancing to the disco beats while the actors cast suave stares at the beauties.

Disco in the 2000s

Many of the original disco hits were remade or remixed in the early 2000s as a tribute to their earlier fame and nostalgia. Nazia Hassans ‘Disco Deewane’ featured in Karan Johar’s ‘Student of the year’ as ‘ The Disco song’. The English remake of Disco Deewane also reached the top charts of many countries including the UK. 

 Read more: Sounds From The Asian Underground