By:
Subhash
K.
Jha,
IndiaFM
Wednesday,
June
13,
2007
Singer
Abhijeet
Sawant
has
a
knack
of
putting
his
foot
in
his
mouth.
But
this
time
he
seems
to
have
gone
too
far.
In
a
TV
interview
the
singer
has
called
veteran
composer
Bappi
Lahiri
a
"besharam
sangeetkar".
"It
has
to
be
me," said
the
pained
composer.
"He
couldn't
have
meant
anyone
else.
All
the
things
he
said
indicated
me.
And
this
is
the
same
singer
who
used
to
be
begging
at
my
doorstep
for
work.
Being
so
junior
to
me,
how
could
he
talk
like
this?
I
feel
I've
been
slapped
by
an
upstart!
Nobody
has
the
right
to
talk
like
this
about
me.
If
Lataji
slapped
me
I'd
happily
turn
my
other
cheek.
We've
all
learnt
humility
from
Lataji.
Why
should
I
take
this
insult
from
Abhijeet?
Yes,
I'm
definitely
suing
him
for
defamation.
He
has
to
prove
in
court
that
I'm
besharam."
Getting
choked
with
emotion
Bappi-da
says,
"I
don't
know
when
or
how
this
started.
Abhijeet
used
to
take
potshots
at
me
from
the
time
when
we
were
together
on
Zee's
Sa
Re
Ga
Ma
Pa.
Now
he
has
gone
to
a
rival
show
and
maybe
this
is
his
way
of
getting
noticed.
But
I've
never
harmed
anyone.
Really
hurt,
Bappi
added,
"During
all
these
years
in
the
film
industry
no
one
has
spoken
like
this
about
me.
I've
respected
my
seniors.
I
expect
others
to
do
the
same.
By
God's
grace
my
son
Bappa
is
all
set
to
turn
music
director
for
Sanjay
Gupta.
I'd
certainly
not
want
him
to
come
into
an
industry
where
seniors
are
called
abusive
names
like
besharam."