Bappi Lahiri to sing and dub an animated character for Hollywood movie 'Moana'

Indian disco king Bappi Lahiri has sung a new song for Disney's latest animated movie "Moana". The song is titled "Shona".  The studio decided to give a local twist to the story following the tremendous success of Vishal Bhardwaj and Gulzar's reprisal of "Jungle Jungle Baat Chali Hai!" and the Hindi version of "Bare Necessities" featuring Vishal Dadlani.

Lahiri has not only composed the song but he will also voice the dialogues and sing for the character of Tamatoa, agiant crab with a fondness for shiny treasures.

The musician said he had dubbing for a character which is similar to his own personality.

"It's a great pleasure to associate with Moana. I am always looking forward to doing new things. This is the first time I'm dubbing for an animated character and I had lot of fun doing that.

The character that I play is very similar to my own personality. I am hoping that people will enjoy this avatar of mine and shower their love on me like they have always done.

It's truly a 'golden' memory," said Lahiri, who is known for his fondness for gold.

Disney said they wanted the audience to have a connectwith the film by creating an original song.

"Bappi da is someone who has fans across across age groupsand he is just a perfect fit for the character and the song. Moana is a movie we are extremely excited about. The movie is a fun-filled adventurous journey and we can't wait for the audience to meet Moana, Maui and Tamatoa," said Amrita Pandey,VP, Studios, Disney India.

"Moana", stars Auli'i Cravalho as the titular heroine andDwayne Johnson as Maui. The movie revolves around the life-changing journey of a tenacious 16-year-old who teams upwith the mighty demigod Maui to fulfill an ancient quest.
The film releases in India on December 2.