Mohammed Rafi could sing a ghazal, bhajan, a whacky composition, romantic song, soulful song effortlessly. He had a distinctive ability to adapt his voice with the screenplay and characters. He rendered his voice to almost all heroes and character artists in the golden era. Try to remember the phenomenal song “Sar Jo Tera Chakraye” featuring Johnny Walker. It seems Johnny Walker felt as if he himself is singing the song because Rafi managed to adapt and acclimatize Walker’s onscreen personality perfectly into his singing. The song is composed by SD Burman which apart from advertising the benefits of a head massage, is also Walker’s loving call to his audience to shed their worries and relax while taking a head massage. Jhony Walker sings the song gleefully advocating a carefree lifestyle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjlFiCD1Vgc
Few songs from the golden era of Bollywood movies are so soulfully sung that everyone craves to listen to them. Today I am going to present few songs created by Mohamed Rafi and O.P.Nayyar. Most of the songs created by this duo are simply marvellous which you feel like listening again and again. This singer-composer duo broke all records in the industry. Some of the most popular songs from this playlist are Lakhon Hain Nigahon Mein; Roka kai bar meine; Muze dekhkar aapka muskarna; Hamdam Mere; Dil Ki Aawaaz Bhi Sun, and the list goes on and on.
It would certainly not be an exaggeration to say that some of the yesteryear heroes are known more for enacting/lip-sync Rafi’s songs rather than their performances like Bharat Bhushan – “Zindagi Bhar Nahin Bhoolegi Woh Barsaat Ki Raat” or Biswajit’s – “Pukarta Chala Hoon Main,” or Joy Mukherjifor “Banda Parwar, tham lo jigar,” and Pradeep Kumar for “jo wada kiya hai, nibhana padega.”
Yasmin who is daughter in law of Rafi writes in her book “My Abba a Memoir” that Rafi sang almost all the songs of O.P. Nayyar for around 27 years! Only in a stray case here or there, did others, including Mukesh and Kishore Kumar, get a chance to sing under the baton of Nayyar.
Nayyar-Rafi bond is not the only notable inclusion in Yasmin’s lucidly written book. She gives a nice insight into the mind set of Shankar-Jaikishen too by revealing that the famed duo always used Mukesh as the voice of Raj Kapoor, used Rafi’s voice when they worked for other banners. So much so they used his voice in Barsaat in 1949 and later in Ek Dil Sau Afsaane too. Interestingly, Shankar-Jaikishen used Rafi’s voice for the Kishore Kumar starrer Shararat. Rafi’s song ‘Ajab Hai Dastan Teri Zindagi’ was picturised on Kishore Kumar!
Interestingly, for all those who thought Rafi gave off his best for some heroes and music directors, Yasmin has a revelation. She says, “Abba had his individual style when preparing his songs….when he sat down to practise a song, his hands and feet would keep rhythm to the soft murmur of his voice. The key to the effectiveness of his singing was that he would shoulder the entire responsibility of his songs. Nothing else matters; not who the song was picturized on, whether the music director was a giant or a newcomers, the name of the lyricist, or even the film.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ0TgHmObxA
The singer’s versatility was unmatched. There was hardly an artiste who did not sync his lips with Rafi’s voice. Kishore Kumar, another doyen of the times, held him in very high esteem. Rafi sang twice once in movie Ragini where Rafi crooned “Man Mora Banwara” to O.P. Nayyar’s music and in movie Shararat when Shankar Jaikishen composed “Ajab hai dastan teri hai zindagi”, it was Rafi who sang for Kishore.
The trademark of the notable singer was that he had great humane values as well. When Laxmikant Pyarelal embarked on their musical journey, Rafi just accepted Re 1 as token money for his first rendition under their baton, while wishing them a bright and musical future. Many of his philanthropic activities came to light post his demise as some of the beneficiaries went to his home to pay their respect. Every singer has clones but no one could ever imitate him completely because of his high rigorous standards. Even at the peak of his glory, he always rehearsed before going to the recording room.
There was a time when Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar had differences over the royalty issue, sending the entire industry into a panic mode. Shankar Jaikshen, the top most composers of the time, who also provided music for innumerable Lata hits, chose to side with Rafi when it came to recording duets. Lata was replaced by either Suman Kalyanpur or Mubarak Begum. But to everyone’s relief, the dispute was short-lived.
Rafi sometimes didn’t take his professional fees when he got variety to sing; in 1965 Rafi sang for Firoz Khan in the film ‘Oonche log’. Majrooh Sultanpuri wrote an evergreen number: Jaag dil-e-deewana, rut jaagi, vasle-yaar ki. When Rafi got to know that it was to be picturised on an anglicised and philandering Firoz Khan, he asked him, ‘Miyaan, bada rangeen gaana hai. Zara apna andaaz dikhaiyega’ (Man, it’s a very romantic song, display your charm onscreen). When the composer Chitragupt offered him Rs. 4,000 for the song, he said, ‘Shukriya. Rooh ko sukoon mila. Mujhe aur kuchh nahin chahiye’ (The soul got satisfaction. I don’t want anything else).
His generosity was legendary. A friend recounts that when a beggar asked him for money, Rafi gave him all the money he had. “Don’t you count the money before you give it,” asked the friend. “When God doesn’t count what he showers on me, why should I count what I give others,” he remarked.
Mohd Rafi was humble, a teetotaller, virtuous and family man. He was a role model to many upcoming singers of that era like Mahendra Kapoor, Shabbir Kumar, and Anwar etc. He was the best male playback singer of his generation and still remains the best Hindi male playback singer of all times.
Mohd Rafi ruled the film industry for almost 36 long years. He was most regarded singer; he never ever played foul with any singers, he never used his power with composers to sabotage the career of any promising and upcoming singer. In fact, he would encourage them to give their best. Rafisab used to love eating, he was foodie. He enjoyed playing badminton and carom.
I pay my heartfelt tributes to him forever.
