A wide range of fans for one song!
A very different review of ‘O Duniya Ke Rakhwale” by Dr. Vasudha Theertharam and Gan Sharma.
This review is the result of collaboration between two fans of the great Rafi saab who met very recently over the Internet. Although this song is perhaps one of Rafi saab’s most reviewed, the reviewers bring a unique perspective to the song. They hope Rafi fans all over the world will enjoy it.
Dr. Vasudha lives in Bangalore, India, and Gan lives in Toronto, Canada
Mohd Rafi
Naushad Ali saab recalls reading in a newspaper that a man, sentenced to be hanged until dead, was asked what his last wish was. We always thought that this last wish was just an over-romanticised element in movies; however, it seems that this incident actually took place. The normal request, under these tragic circumstances, is either for a favourite food or a drink. Occasionally, it may be a request to meet a beloved; but more often, it is a priest that the condemned man asks for. The staunchest atheist, it is said, becomes God-fearing on his deathbed; when the end is near, the desire to bribe the Almighty is at its peak.Â
However, this man asked for none of these things. We try and imagine Naushad saab’s state of mind, his emotions, as he reads through what the man actually asks for – that he is allowed to listen to “O duniya ke rakhwale, sun dard bare mere naale; jeewan apna wapas lele, jeewan dene wale“. Can you, for a moment, put yourself in Naushad saab’s place as you read these lines, “the condemned man asked to be played this song”? Wouldn’t it be part satisfying, and yet, part frightening? Naushad saab does not say what he felt when he read that his creation was the last wish of a dying man.
Let’s consider another true story. A young ten-year old girl, curled up in a sofa, is listening to “O Duniya Ke Rakhwale“, which her father has just put on. Quietly, and without too much fanfare, the song has a very deep impression on her. Suddenly, she turns to her father and asks, ‘Papa, what does “naale” mean?’ From the moment she learns the meaning, the “ruhaaniyat” of the song sneaks into her innocent mind, entering layer by layer, and gets secretly embedded in an alcove of her memory. Rafi the sculptor succeeds in engraving the sentiments of the song in the chambers of her heart.
Even as a child, she wonders about the dual aspect of life that Shakeel Badayuni saab brings out with his immortal lyrics. Why is it, she thinks, does God create life with such opposites, where every up has a down, every left a right, every love a hate, every smile a tear? She is mesmerized by those beautiful words:
“aas niraash ke do rangonse -duniyaan tu ne sajaayee,
naiyya sang toofan banaya, milan ke saath judayee”
[audio:BaijuBawra_ODuniyaKeRakhwale.mp3]
Listen to O Duniya Ke Rakhwale
Little did she know that nature works in strange ways; that ten year-old girl was being given a lesson in what she later describes thus: “the whole essence of the song is encapsulated in the two words – good and evil – which are the two sides of a coin, which always go hand in hand; always waging war against each other”.
One of the happiest moments of her life was the birth of her son; but she could not help remembering that tough, tough lesson that Shakeel saab, Naushad saab, and Rafi saab had taught her when she was ten: that pride and joy of hers, that son, was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome.
Today, even that child, beautiful in every respect, but challenged by this debilitating condition, is a fan of this song too!! “Amma, Bhagwan”, he says, and his mother plays this song for him. He loves this song and never has enough of it. Euphoria is writ large on his otherwise expressionless face when he listens to this song, bearing testimony to the fact that he has embraced this religion called “Duniya ke Rakhwaale“. “Three good Muslims”, she says, “came together to produce a beautiful homage to ‘bhagwan’. My son seems to have captured that spirit – he knows that the love of God is non-denominational”. And she’s very, very proud of him.
So, friends, there you have it. Three fans of this beautiful song – a condemned man consigned to the gallows, an innocent ten-year old girl, and a beautiful boy suffering from Down’s Syndrome. What is it, in that song, that made people from every walk of life feel so deeply touched?
Naushad himself gives us some clues.
He goes on to talk about Rafi singing this immortal song. It was probably a myth, he said, that Rafi vomited blood when he finished singing it. He had heard the rumour himself, but he didn’t see it, and Rafi saab himself never mentioned anything to Naushad about it. We too think it must have been a romantic story started by an uncommitted fan! One who was not facing the gallows – a man who was would not be frivolous with the facts.
Mohd Rafi
Â
Undoubtedly, Rafi saab took the song very seriously. A man known to be able to bring out the essence of a song in its first rendering, he nevertheless practiced this song for “fifteen, twenty days”, as Naushad states it. It is also true that Rafi saab was unable to sing for a while after the recording of this song; he had lost his voice, for Naushad decided to use Rafi’s range to go as high as possible. We didn’t know this, Â Naushad saab recorded this song again, after a long time, and this time, Rafi touched even higher notes than the first time. “Do sur oopar”, said Naushad.Â
Vasudha (one of the joint authors of this review) had occasion to hear Mohd Rafi saab sing this revised version. The emphasis was on ‘Mahal udas aur galiyaan sooni.’ When we were discussing it, she said, “Gan, It was ethereal. The ups and downs, the varied notes and oh! the mellifluous rendition of this one line enraptured the audience in a frenzy that words cannot express.. The audience went berserk;  cheering him every time he paused and sang ‘Mahal udas re’.”
 “Ai mausiki tu cheez hai aisi sadabahaar
Milta hai jiss se dil ko sukoon, rooh ko karaar“.
Such an artist was Mohd Rafi.
So, this song from Baiju Bawra, which has, amongst its thousands of fans, its own music director, a man hanged at the gallows, a ten-year old, wide-eyed girl, and a boy with Down syndrome, came to be called “Duniya Ke Rakhwale”.
Shakeel captured the essential philosophical maxim that strife is caused when we are caught in a world of opposites; that true freedom comes only when one can transcend them. Look at the richness of his metaphor while he makes this point (and the authors apologize for repeating this verse again, but now in a different context):
aas niraash ke do rango se duniya toone sajayee
naiya sang toofaan banaya, milan ke saath judaayi
(Hope and disappointment are the two colours You used to decorate this world;
along with the boat You made the hurricane too; along with union, separation).
The protagonist of the song is confused; he has drowned in a sea of consternation. Familiar objects get transformed, he has nowhere to turn. Rafi  gives voice to this frustration as only he can:
aag bani saawan ki barkha phool bane angaare
naagan ban gayi raat suhaani patthar ban gaye taare
sab toot chuke hain sahaare
ho jeevan apna waapas le le jeevan dene waale
o duniya ke rakhwaale
The genius of Naushad comes at that point in the song when he changes the tempo of the song to signify the transition from frustration to resignation, and the strident tone gives way to something close to softness and melody here:
mahal udaas aur galiyaa suni chup chup hain deewaare
dil kya ujada duniya ujadi, ruth gayi hain bahaare
hum jeevan kaise gujaare
ho mandir girtaa fir ban jata dil ko kaun sambhaale
May that dead prisoner’s soul rest in peace.
May that girl learn the joys and pains of motherhood with grace.
May that child with Down’s Syndrome live a beautiful life.
May Rafi’s fans live on; may his yaad live on for generations to come.
Dear Chandan!
Thank you so much!! To receive encouragement from such a great fan of Rafi saab means a lot to us!!
Anil saab,
Thanks for your very kind words…yes, we will continue to contribute….because Rafi saab is a never-exhaustible source of great material anyway!! Many thanks once again!!
Dear Nagalakshmi ji,
That was a very, very kind compliment to both of us, and we appreciate it. That you enjoyed the review so much that it evoked a tear-inducing memory makes us feel that we are right there, with you, in the enjoyment of this great song. Many thanks!!
Dear Anwar Saab,
Thank you so much for your very kind words!! Yes, we agree that this site (mohdrafi.com) has been a boon to all of us Rafi lovers!
Many thanks once again!
Dear Mr. Babu,
Thank you very much for your kind words….musch appreciated!!
Dear Murthy saab,
We thank you for a very detailed comment. Yes, Gan Sharma is also known as “Mohan” – sorry for the identity crisis!!
Your suggestion of an incentive to write is a great one!! We will, confess, though, that both of us think that it a great privilege to write about Rafi saab.
Thank you once again.
Suresh Chauhan saab,
We thank you for your detailed comment. Yes, when “bhakti ras” enters a singer’s soul, he is no longer the singer, he becomes the instrument of great singing.
Thank you for your kind words, and may you go from strength to strrength!!
Abid saab,
Our salaams to you. Yes, when these three “the’s” as you call them, came together, they brought heaven to earth!! Thank you so much for your kind comments!
Dear Jyothi ji,
Perhaps “poignant” is the best word to use for this song – you are so right!! Thank you so much for your kind words!
Dear Binu ji,
Thanks for your kind words regarding this article. We appreciate it. At the end of the day, entertainment has two purposes – (a) to entertain, which is obvious, and (b) to evoke goodness in the fan. Not very many people can do the latter, and Rafi saab, as you point out, not only did that, but did that probably better than anyone else. Thank you for your time, and for your appreciation.
Vasudha and Gan
Post 31…
Murty saab.. Adaab Rafi !
Your suggestion on giving award to the best review is welcome.. Shall get in touch with you, the Rafi Foundation veterans, Rafi Lovers Circle ,Kolkata and Important members of Baar Baar Rafi Fan Club to chalk out the plan…
Ai doton,
What magic is this, that we have received such an ourpouring of love. Dil se maafi chahte hain ki we are not acknowledging you by name…but each one of you who has commented on our artcile deserves, and gets, our heartfelt gratitude, and thanks in the name of the spirit of Rafi saab, who continues to nousish our souls.
Uday Singh Tundele ji, hame to khuadaa ne likne ki kabliyat dee hai, lekin aap to sachche shaagird hai, Rafi saab ke. Aur woh jahaan bee hon, aapki dil ki dhadkan pe naaz karenge…aur hame sab ko aashirwaad de rahen honge..
Aapke shaagird,
Vasudha / Gan
What a poignant article… Vasudha-ji and Gan Sharma-ji, a sincere thank you for penning such a meaningful write up.
no words after reading this article.rafi sahebs all songs which he has sung are equally stunning if you analyze them the way this artile is.hats off to both the writer of the subject.Hats of to the TRIO of the maker of the song
the mohammad rafi
the naushad ali
the shakil badayuni
with 3 big THEs
abid khalil
Vasudha ji aur Gan Sharma ji aap dono ne bahut2 achha likha hei.On occassions many of us wish to write but do not find proper words to express our feelings & respect to these great maestros. Keep writing.
Superb article,
Dear Vasudha Ji & Sharma Ji,
Great writeup the magician of voice Legendary Rafi Sahib, I would just like to put this rumour to rest about Legendary Rafi Sahib vomitting blood post singing this song. It is nothing but a mere imagination of someone who evidently knew very little about Rafi saab and his range and abilities. He has performed this song live on several occassions and then continued on rendering other high pitch numbers without an iota of discomfortinging the last lines of that song O Duniya Ke Rakhwale. I always sing that bhajan on every Mata Ka Jagran when i sing that song on the other hand i never sing but the legendary rafi sahib transfer his voice in my throat and people enjoying the song and they said that that is the rafi sahib voice. I thanks rafi sahib for teaching me to come in my dreams and also become me a capable singer. I always sing rafi sahib bhajan in the mata ka jagran people praise me but this is the aashirvaad of Rafi Sahib on me.
Thanks & Regards,
Suresh Chauhan
098558-05688
Ludhiana ( Punjab )
the song duniya ke rakhwale is so pious that one will need a special mood to listen to it. for me the song is so beautiful and hearing it is akin to visiting a divine place.
i have heard it from rafi saaheb himself live, on two occassions. one was at the shanmukhananda hall. when the emperor sang the words “mahal Udaas” atleast eight times – all differently, there was pin-drop silence in the vast auditorium. the legend had gone in to a trance taking along all his listeners along – in the 2800 capacity auditorium.
yes. we took this song on april 4th. it was the second last song of the musical dil pukare aare aare aare, rendered by chiraag panchal – very effortlessly. i could hear the approval of the audience when the song was announced and they were singing it along.
yes. this is the holiest song ever made. god had blessed rafi saaheb and with this song rafi never had to look back.
this song truly deserves an award “even bigger than the oscars” – for the song which won the “oscar” has nothing in it sounding like a political slogan.
well done authors of this great article.
binu nair . rafi foundation – mumbai : 0 9833 250 701
The write up is great. A fine piece of review I ever come accross on this masterpiece.
Dear Vasudha ji and Sharma ji,
Greatest article. Many many congratulations to both of you.
You both have displayed us and proved once again that this site is guru of all musical related sites due to these types of gems.
Many thanks and best regards.
Anwar-ul-Haque
One song that changed the course and destiny of playback singing – this is a universal feeling. I will give you just one example. A week ago the ‘gayathri creations, bangalore’ had organized the ‘sunehri yadein’ musical show in hyderabad and the auditorium was jampacked to the brim. geetaji, the architect of the show deserves kudos for the same and music lovers of hyderabad had a wonderful time. halfway through the programme, dr saleem (he and all other famed singers had come from bangalore) sings mainly talat mahmood songs and he does a pretty good job at that. he has a very soft voice, suitable for talatji’s kind of songs. rafi sahab’s songs were rendered by two other great singers (sanjay singh who also anchored the show was one of them), but the one song that captivated the audience was this same song on which such a descriptive and well articulated write up has been penned by dr vasudhaji and ganji (i read in some comments he is also known as mohanji). Dr saleem’s rendition received a standing ovation from the musically-starved audience and shouts of ‘once again’ rented the auditorium so much that dr saleem had to render the song once again (though he rendered the last paras and upto the end of the song in this second rendition). thunderous claps and the euphoria that the song generated made me feel a very proud rafi-fan and brought instant tears in my eyes. I had never seen anything like this before. Almost twenty songs had been rendered by various singers before this and several more were to follow. but this one song was what the audience craved for. it baffles me how deep rooted the strings of this song, nay a divine creation, are embedded in the hearts and minds of all music lovers. without exception, i am sure all indians must be rating this song as the greatest ever in the annals of history of indian cinema. this song is considered as a benchmark and like the authors opined at the start itself is perhaps the most widely reviewed song ever. the article coming so close after my experience of the song in the musical show makes me wonder whether this again is a divine coincidence. my memory of the musical show and this song had not even faded than this fantastic write up shows up here. on behalf of rafi sahab’s family, firoz ahmed sahab has given us all ample clarification on the unwarranted and unimaginable romours that reportedly were in vogue, although i never came across such wild talk anywhere.
i have a suggestion each to this website and the baar baar rafi fan club, bangalore. to the moderator of this lovely website: please incorporate a prize/award for the best write ups every half year – this will see a barrage of equally prolific essays on many more songs of rafi sahab.
to the baar baar rafi fan club, bangalore : please ensemble all the good write ups of rafi-fans from bangalore and publish them in a book form (a small journal also would well) which can be freely distributed amongst the music lovers of bangalore whenever you hold your next big musical event. we would also like to get hold of some of such copies, so that some of the ‘not so internet-savvy rafi fans from hyderabad’ can benefit from reading such lovely and entertaining write ups.
Dear Firoz saab,
Thanks for your comments and your felicitations. It is the habit of fans to over-romanticize their heroes; thus the “he spat / vomitted blood” rumour; thanks for clarifying that it isn’t true.
It was almost certainly contrary to Rafi saab’s spirit to be anything other than 100% truthful: and we owe it to the great master to be pucca with our facts.
With very warm regards,
Vasudha and Gan
Hi all,
our very sincere thanks for the huge outpouring of felicitations from all of you…both on this website as well as in our personal emails.
Leaves us overwhelmed!!!
Warm regards,
Vasudha and Gan
dear vasudha and gan sharmaji
I had watched this movie ‘baiju baawra’ when i was 16, my heart full of love and emotions, came back home crying, but your review of the song yeh duniya ke rakhwaale brought more tears than when i was 16.
great song and great lyrics, great singer and a great review.
looking for more .
Superb article, Vasudhaji andd Sharmaji.
Your narration is extra-ordinary and very touching. Please keep contributing here; May the Almighty bless both of you and your son.
Well written. On behalf of the family, I would just like to put this rumour to rest about Rafi saab vomiting blood post singing this song. It is nothing but a mere imagination of someone who evidently knew very little about Rafi saab and his range and abilities. He has performed this song live on several occassions and then continued on rendering other high pitch numbers without an iota of discomfort.
My dears vasu and Gan Sharma
Both of you have succeeded in making me take some time off from my schedule and listen to the song.Wonderful review.I take this opportunity to congratulate both of you on your splendid effort.
Dr.Theertharam
Vasudha & Mohan
wow!! Great article. I am really moved. No words to express my innermost feelings as this song is always to my heart
Chandan
Hi!
I feel proud to have born in this century as our great singer RAFISAAB.I have always been a fan of RAFISAAB since my childhood as my mother use to say he is one of the best singers in India.I salute tthe Lyricists,Music directors like Naushad Saab and others who produced music that we could remember for generations to come.My thanks to Dr.Vasudha and Mr.Gan Sharmaji for bringing this Bhajan to everyones attention God Bless you both.
Hello Vasudhaji & Mohanbhai…
What an effort! Amazing! The way this review is written in a very innovative fashion – the review woven around the stories is simply heartwarming. You have really brought out the essence of the song so well – it really got me emotional.
Everything was great about the write-up.. Mohanji and Vasudhaji, right from your song selection, the song itself being undoubtedly the best work of Shakeel-Naushad-Rafi combo. Profound lyrics, great music and such a soulful rendition from Rafi Saab – couldn’t have received a better tribute than this.
Simply fantastic! Looking forward to read more and more of such articles from you.
Cheers
Anoop
Dear Profound ones !
Great writeup about the magician. But I had heard another story from one of the artists . It goes that after finshing the recording of ‘O duniya ke rakhwale’ he was not able to control his emotions specially after that last high pitch taan. He sat with his face in his hands and tears rolled out of his eyes. The director of ‘ baju bawra’ also got emotional and after a while when things calmed down told rafisaab that unfortunately he will not be able to show his emotions and tears to the audience but he will surely add a sequence at the end of the song in the movie where he shall show these tears roll out from the eyes of the idol to atleast show soem acknowledgement and appreciation of rafisaab’s feelings
very nice article.the same experience which i want to share with one of the rafi song to all rafi fan .my examination was going on and i was preparing at mid night ,i was feeling drousy at that moment ,at the same time my father was listening radio and a song played “o nanhe se fariste tujhse ye kaisa nata kaise ye dil ke riste”after listening this i became energetic and my sleep gone away.this is the quality of rafi saheb singing
Vasudha and Gan sir..
Adaab Rafi !
Never read such a touching emotional piece of wondeful anecdotes on the lives of people who got attached to the signature song of Rafi sahab. There is no program of Rafi sahab where he doesnt sing this song and he emotes this lovely melodies with beautiful variations in Mahal Udaas.
I was fotunate to witness this phenomenon live in Shanmukananda hall in my school days.
Aaap donon ne tho mujhe rula diya.. keep it up vasu n mohan….
And you have made us very proud as a part of Baar Baar Rafi Fan Club, Bangalore
Thanks for a brilliant analysis of one of the greatest songs of our time that never let me stop playing again again. Is there anyone more blessed than Rafi Saab.
Thanks for your two. Keep it up.
Mr Sandeep Nadkarni has rightly pointed that Rafi Saab was hardly the age of 28 years when he recorded this mesmerizing rendition and he possessed a raw and enchanting voice quality which truly helped in marking this song as one of the greatest ever piece rendered in the annals of the hindi film music industry.
Dr Vasudhaji and Gan Sharma – beautiful thoughts & great punching review
Friends this master piece rendition should in-fact be heard in the early wee-hours at around 3 to 3.30 in the morning mainly to feel the effect of Rafi Saabs soothing voice and Naushads superb orchestration
The line in this song “Dil kya ujada duniya ujadee rhoot gayeen hai bahare hum jivan kaise guzaren†will force your veins to pass through a shivering experience. What is sheer magic is that 3 Muslims have come together and have helped to make this beautiful song indeed a “shakahaarâ€
Bangalore Squad Please keep up the good work – We all would like to hear & read similar great effects in the future
Superlatives fail me when I want to appreciate this article. In the recent few weeks we find so many good reviews that matches Rafi sahib’s virtousity.
I request all the esteemed Rafi fans if something can be done to preserve the live rendering of this song in Doordarshan recorded long back. I find that in youtube but it is so old and not clear and does not do justice to the class that it deserves. This would be a priceless treasure for Rafi fans as very rarely we see him singing. Especially duniya ke rakhwale should be preserved for posterity as future generations should also be able to listen & see this divine voice peforming
Hello Vasudha and Mr. Mohan,
A very touching tale of many fans. The man on the gallows, the ten year old girl and the down’s baby….
Vasudha, your conversations with your father was reminiscent of mine. And
your son asking for ‘ bhagawaan’, indeed is a humbling tribute to Mohd rafi
sab. You guys have done a great job. Mr. Mohan, kudos. Vasudha dear, I am very happy for you. You guys have rocked.
Malavika
Guys, hats off for this beautiful review and Gan, thanks for bringing it to our attention.
This song has left a huge impression on me right from the beginning. For many years, i found it difficult to believe that Rafi had sung it.
Songs around the 60’s had a very penetrating and soulful music and poetry but, even amongst those, this one (I forget if it was 60’s but that is less important) stands out for touching something deep within.
Thank you for bringing back that memory and reliving it yet again.
Dear Gan n Vasudha:
Haaiiiii..yeh kya kar diya aap dono ne…bandhe ko rula hi diya…
Hats off to you both…your evaluation of ODKR is superb…you have woven three stories around that one Rafi Song that can leave no soul unaffected…what a song…!! Vasu and Gan..this is one review that will awaken deep rooted emotions in all those reading this, as it has done to me…!!
I cant help but say a few words on ODKR myself….this hard-hitting song in Rafi Saab’s voice is remembered mostly for its unparalleled rendition and breathtaking notes..and less for the the soft-spoken Bharat Bhushan who sang it on screen. BB would surely have considered himself fortunate to have Rafi Saab singing for him and making him immortal in doing so… the agonizingly painful last notes of the song would have made even that stone idol in the song come to life..such was the intensity of Rafi Saab’s singing…
Ab aur kya kahen?..Vasu and Gan… in your sentimental potrayal of OKDR you have both undertaken a journey into a Bhakt’s heart wherein lies an unexplainable reason for all emotion and passion….
Bina
Vasudha and Mohan,
very nice review of this song and so much of feelings at different stages of growing years and the different souls it has touched in relating to life.Rafiji has brought such good friends from all corners of the world together through his songs!
vinatha
Hi,
Many of us if not all have identified ourselves with this song some time or the other, those who have not have probably not heard this song.
“aas niraash ke do rangonse -duniyaan tu ne sajaayee,”
In your case Dr Vasudha the niraasha is the Down Syndrome, but then the aas is for your son who is blessed with a mother like you.
Gan Sharma ji, this song would require a review which should match its greatness, and you have not failed , keep them coming.
Hi Mohan and Vasudha:
Made a touching reading. It is true that this song is for all persons,for all seasons and for all reasons.Thanks for sharing your review of this great,great,great song.
Best wishes.
M V Devraj
when Shakeel Badayuni wrote Naushand gave music and mohd rafi sang that song that was mean super hit.
I don’t know anything about music but I as human I feel they was great and will be …..
I think people and media of India should speak on this top that 3 Muslims made the best bhagan,I feel that will help the country.in end we all are human we are not born by our choice and mostly our relegation’s came as our father relegation (as I feel)
My heartfelt thanks to both the authors for an UNIQUE review of a great song. The way true stories were intertwined in the review made it absolutely great reading. I had tears in my eyes as I finished reading. Thanks again.
Dr Vasudaji & Gan Sharmaji — Great piece of work indeed.
“O duniya ke rakhwale suna dard bhare mere nale” is one of the finest renditions ever by the Greatest Mohammed Rafi Saab.
This beautiful song was probably recorded somewhere in the year 1951-1952 and in those very early period Rafi Saab was hardly 28 years of age and hence his voice quality & the range was indeed very raw & enchanting.
The flow was superb and there was a deep sence of duty in this song which Rafi Saab had presented to the Almighty and in such circumstances Rafi always used to perform with special features.
Friends one of my very dearest friend Peters father was a great voilinst player and was with Naushad Saab and he had participated in this beautiful recording. There has never been any incidence where Rafi Saab had vommitted blood after recording this song
Indeed friends Rafi Saab for this song indeed deserved a OSCAR
Dear Vasudha and Mohan,
You both have given us an outstanding review of O duniyake rakhwale.
A novel attempt, to have dovetailed reviews of a song which is close to both your hearts and the result is a new mathematical discovery. 1 + 1 = 11. The impact of collaboration is obvious.
You can divide hindi cinema into pre ODR and post ODR eras. Such is the impact of our ‘Bhagawan’ on the psyche of a cinema goer. I will fail in my duties, if I do not mention the contributions of Naushad and Shakeel Badayuni, in the making of this epic song. If you don’t have misty eyes after
listening to the lines like ‘mehal udhaas aur galiyaan sooni’, you are in a wrong site.
Thanks very much Vasudha and mohan, for a treatise like narrative of ODR.
Its touching, well scripted and runs like a fast paced suspense thriller. All the makings of a blockbuster.
Nagesh Sidhanti
dear guru saheb, nasir saheb, biman saheb,
Very many thanks for your kind words. Really glad you enjoyed the review.
Dear Vasudha and Mohan, O Duniya Ke is an anthem of sorts for Rafi fans. And three different perspectives. Wah! It was really a moving tribute to the divine rendition by Rafi saab. That this song touched a chord in a 10-year-old girl, a down’s Syndrome child and a condemned man shows the music, lyrics and the singing give an out-of-this-world experience.
Vasudha and Mohan, it is a great review. Off the beaten path. The incidents add that something extra to your fantastic interpretation of the song. The contradictions of life are beautifully brought out by Shakeel Badayuni. and you two too have focused on this in your review ___ hats off.
cheers
Utthara
Respected Dr. Vashudha Ji & Gan Sharma Ji
Hearty thanks & congratulations for a great & execptional reveiw of a landmark song of HFM by our beloved Rafi Saheb. Rafi Saheb was matchless in this song with full of devotion to GOD. It is a heavenly song for all music lovers in the world.
with warm regards to all Rafi Lovers.
Biman, Assam, India
Philosophical, Emotional, and Sufistic insights by the authors’ review of O DUNIYA KE RAKHWAALE… was a great treat to read. Memorable! Delightful! Thank you Dr. Theertharam and Gan Sharma for the new interpretation of this world-famous song of Rafi Sahaab by giving concrete examples.
Congratulations to both the Authors. A HATKE article. I still remember the night when I enjoyed Rafi Saab’s this song in Shivajinagar Stadium when as Naushad pointed out, he went “do sur upar”. The song as told by Lord Krishna in BHAGAVADGEETA deals with “Pairs of opposites” – Aas – Niras, Naiyya – Toofan, Milan – Judai, etc. Who could have fully justified this song except Rafi. We do not know whetehr Rafi vomitted blood or not, but whenever we listen to this song, we hold our breath and marvel at the divine voice. As Jesudas pointed out God was partial to Rafi, as he gave all ‘khoobis’ to him a singer par excellence and a gentleman whom any body would feel like emulating.