India, too was greatly impacted by the disco craze of the 1970s, which spread throughout the western world. Major cities saw the advent of discotheques, which were influenced by the glow and glamour of worldwide disco culture.
I first heard of disco songs and watched the moves of a 'disco dancer' or the disco style of dancing was from none other than the Bollywood hero 'Mithun Chakraborty'.
Mithun da's "I am a Disco Dancer" became a cult of 1980s, and that set the mood of early 1980s in metro cities across India. Nightclubs mushroomed across these cities and the scene was taken by storm with their flashy lights, western dressed women and men. Discotheques provided an environment for singles to mingle, dance to the latest hits, and feel free.
As disco dancing gained more popularity, Bollywood released a number of well-known disco songs. Songs like "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja Aaja Aaja," "Yaar bina chain kaha re", produced by 'Disco King' Bappi Lahari became huge successes and has remained timeless masterpieces. This chapter on 'disco decade' would be incomplete without the mention of the singer Nazia Hussain whose song "Aap Jaisa Koi Nahi" and "Disco Deewane". These numbers made it very big in the Disco era of Indian music.
Meanwhile, Mithun's 'I am a Disco Dancer' & Zeenat Aman starred 'Aap Jaisa Koi' was immortalised in the 80s. All these fast track numbers became a must in birthday parties, weddings, family gatherings in most of the middle-class homes.
This chapter will never be justified if I do not script about Usha Uthup! Usha is another disco era genius although she has many other genres in her repertoire. Bappi & Usha teamed up to gift us with another true essence of 80's... "Ramba Ho Ho Ho, Samba Ho Ho Ho". The flashy presence of both & their bold moves kindled & challenged the dressing sense in youth!
In many ways, I feel satisfied that I belonged to the glorious decade of Disco in Bollywood films and Indian music in the 80s.