As B Subhash’s musical blockbuster Disco Dancer turns 40, the film’s songs and music continue to play at every religious festival and irreligious revelry.
While every song in Disco Dancer, from Vijay Benedict’s “I Am A Disco Dancer” , to “Yaad Aa Raha Hai” sung by Bappi Lahiri, and “Goron Ki Na Kaalo Ki” sung by Suresh Wadkar with Usha Mangeshkar was a smash hit, Jimmy jimmy by Parvati Khan became an imperishable anthem.
I remember my conversation with Bappida on the song and he admitted Jimmy jimmy was his single-most popular song . “Anywhere I go, there will be people shouting ‘Jimmy jimmy aaja aaja’. These four words have become a part of my musical identity. I am very proud of the song. So many spinoffs and imitations have been done. The British singer MIA did a version of Jimmy jimmy in 2007 which was very popular . But it is my original version that plays across the world.”
Bappida was rightfully proud of the impact the song made.
How did Parvati Khan a singer from Trinidad and Tobago with a very shaky command over the Hindi language end up singing this all-time chartbuster?
Apparently Parvati was recommended to Bappida by her father-in-law writer Rahi Masoom Raza who had scripted Disco Dancer, and by Dr Raza’s son the highly acclaimed cinematographer Nadeem Khan who did the cinematography of Disco Dancer.
Says Bappida “I went by instinct and gave Parvati a chance. And what a fabulous job she did of the song! She sang Jimmy jimmy with so much feeling and passion, it became her signature tune.”
Added Bappida, “A phenomenon like Jimmy jimmy just happens. You can’t orchestrate a success on this level. There were were other superhit chartbusters in Disco Dancer filmed on bigger stars like Mithun Chakraborty and Rajesh Khanna. Why did this song filmed on actress Kim become such a rage? God’s will.”