VANRAJ Bhatia, who composed music for parallel cinema classics such as “Bhumika”, “36 Chowringhee Lane” and “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro” and gave lilt to jingles remembered decades later, died at his home on Friday, according to a friend. He was 94.

“I was in regular touch with him. His caretaker informed me around 9 am that he has passed away. He had dementia and arthritis. He was bedridden for over a month,” music historian and friend Pavan Jha told PTI. Bhatia lived with his caretaker at his apartment in Rungta Housing Colony on Napean Sea Road.

A legend in the music world, Bhatia leaves behind a prodigious legacy of compositions in films as varied as “Ajooba and “Ankur”, television serials as well as about 6,000 jingles, including the famous “La Lalala” track for Liril soap that still strikes a chord and the ad for Dulux paint.