Eternal Rafi Saab – Kahin Bekhayal Hokar
This article is written by Bina. She belongs to the Baar Baar Rafi Fan Club in Bangalore.
Rafi Saab with Dev Saa
Tarannum woh ho ke jo dil se chale
Toh lab-e-shaayar mein jaadoo sanwar de
Magar hoton se jab goonje fiza mein
Toh zameen-o-aasmaan ko ek kar de…
Each and every heart reading this has at one point or the other come across a particular song that seems to be in your rooh, that which spreads a soft light in the corners of your heart and seeps into your conciousness giving an infinite moment of happiness.
Kahin Bekhayal Hokar is that song for me in Rafi Saab’s voice..An extraordinary voice that touches the heart of a simple listener…and hooks her for life…the voice of a man who is perfection personified.
This beautiful ghazal with a touch of the Sufi music in it is actually an ordinary ghazal…It is Rafi Saab’s voice that raises it above average and breathes life into it. I never can get hold of the right words to describe the thousand and one expressions and emotions that flit across that voice..
[audio:TeenDeviyan_KahinBekhayalHokar.mp3]
Listen to Kahin Bekhayal Hokar from Teen Deviyan
The velvety humming and the feathery touch of the three words of the first line captures my senses like no other song ever did..Its a song dreams are made of. …a song every woman would want her man to sing to her some time. In this song we have three women, Simi, Kalpana and Nanda looking completely bewitched with his voice…
Mere Dil Mein Kaun Hai Tu.. Ke Hua Jahan Andhera
Wahin Sau Diye Jalaaye Tere Rukh Ki Chandni Ne…
Rafi Saab..Your call makes my heart soar to heaven while my feet are firmly planted on terra firm….truly zameen-o-aasmaan ek kar ke…
Kabhi Us Pari Ka Koocha Kabhi Is Haseen Ki Mehfil
Mujhe Dar Badar Firaya Mere Dil Ki Saadgi Ne..
Vasudha, Utthara..Asha.,Vinatha….and all you girls out there will agree with Rafi Saab here na…..Divine Love is generous, so I am not at all jealous gals…
Mohd Rafi
Hai Bhala Sa Naam Uska Main Abhi Se Kya Bataun
Kiya Bekaraar Aksar Mujhe Ek Aadmi Ne…
Rafi Saab ..you are that aadmi…you make me stop in my tracks mesmerized by your voice…
The mood of the song is set with Dev Anand in a poetic mood in the midst of a mehfil in Kashmir…
Jo laakhon karodon ke samajh mein aa jaaye wohi meri zubaan hai
Jo laakhon karodon ko bhaa jaaye wohi mera jasba hai
Mera dil Hindu hai na Musalman hai, na Sikh hai na Isayee hai
Mera Dil Insaan Hai… Mera Dil Hindustan Hai
Majrooh Sultanpuri once said that this ghazal was actually composed by Jaidev, then Dada Burman’s assistant. But Rafi gave it the ‘soft croon’ the Rafi-Dada touch.
One among the five hits of Teen Deviyaan, and arguably one of the finest of soft renderings of Rafi Saab, this ghazal competed with the nasheela Aise Toh Na Dekho by the same captivating voice. .and won hands down in my heart..
SD Burman could not help giving his best genre of songs to Rafi Saab for Dev Anand in this movie, who has made no bones of the fact that he is a Kishore lover. KK could not have touched these songs and he knew it. The breezy Arre Yaar Meri Tum Bhi Ho Gazab, Khwab Ho Tum Ya Koi Haqeeqat and the evergreen duet Likha Hai Teri Aankhon Mein were right up KK’s sleeve….but the sweetness and cream of Kahin Bekhayaal belonged to Rafi Saab.
Arre Mujhpe Naaz Waalon Yeh Naazmandiyaan Kyon
Hai Yahi Karam Tumhara Toh Mujhe Na Doge Jeene..
That’s the simplicity of Rafi Saab speaking …Twenty nine years have passed without him in our midst. But is that really so?..is there ever a moment that his voice is absent from our lives? He has lived among us for an entire generation and will live for ever more and for ever more…
“What moves through us is a silence, a quiet sadness, a longing for one more day, one more word, one more touch, we may not understand why you left this earth so soon, or why you left before we were ready to say good-bye, but little by little, we begin to remember not just that you died, but that you lived. And that your life gave us memories too beautiful to forget.”
Kahin Bekhayal Hokar Yoonhi Choo Liya Kisine
Kai Khwaab Dekh Daale Yahan Meri Bekhudi Ne….
And my dreams live on…
P.S.
Tarannum – the musical rendering of Urdu poetry
Lab-e-shaayar – the words of the poet, or the poem
It is also a known fact that ALL RAFI SONGS ARE HITS. He was an ALL HIT singer and NOT A ONE SONG WONDER.
I grew up listening to Mohd Rafi, Hemant Kumar, Mukesh, Kishore, Talat, Manna Dey, Lata, Asha and all time great lyricists Majrooh, Sahir, Jaidev etc and music masters LP, SJ, RD, SD, Roshan, Madan Mohan, Salil and all I can say that after them melody is no more. Rafi saab was undoubtedly the voice that touched my heart whenever I heard him sing. He would bring his voice to a level and style that would suit the mannersim of the actor for whom he sang. He was a very very accomplished singer in classical or filmy songs. In fact his voice has left an indelible mark on many many of us. Today, it is the genre of re-mixes, boom boom music, lyrics be damned. The sould of songs are missing and that is why we do not remember any of the so called gennext music and songs. I do not think I would ever live to see any singer as accomplished as Rafi saab. God bless his soul.
i’m searching for a girl who ‘d listen such a song as this in this age
Great article. Thanks indeed. Does anyone know which raag this song is composed in?
Why I like to take Mohammed rafi as God.
Actually I consider the concept of God as purely psychological, and
creation of human mind/minds. God does not exist in reality, there is no
scientific evidence to prove the theory of existence of any such natural
force which is kind to human beings only and takes care or records the deeds
of individuals.
Concept of God is, in fact, our psychological requirement, as we need to believe that
there is always something/someone concerned about us,our security,looking at us, will take care of us, will solve
our problems and will protect us in extreme circumstances,this feeling makes us feel safe, comfortable and boosts confidence.
In childhood this need is fulfilled by parents, and as we grow as selfish
individuals we realise that every other human is selfish too, and at times this
realization makes us sad and depressed, here comes the importance
and magic of thought of God, we have imagingly created, that, someone
very powerful and very capable, who is not selfish and is looking at us and is understanding
us and is with us always. This is a very soothing and comforting thought
and we love it, we love God, and also believe that God loves us.
Concept of God is a Great creation of human mind, it fulfills the individual and
social needs of human beings,Those who believe or have faith in god usually are
able to handle their tensions relatively easily, we need to renew the profile of god
with times to make it more relevent, and ensure that it is able to keep pace with changing times.
In the process of creating God(through imagination) humans have used real
life material, like sun, moon, fire, birds and even powerful and/or popular human
beings who after passing away were imagingly elevated to the level of god.
Different people in different parts of the world imagined differently and thus created
different Gods, but they all did the same thing, i.e. punished those who we think were wrong doers
and rewarded those who, in our opinion were right and needed protection.
There have been a number of occasions where human beings have even
died trying to protect there god, but not even a single occasions(beyond
reasonable doubt) where god has protected human beings, people have
been killed/died even while praying in churches/mosques/temples.
Nature created human beings and humans created god, that is the reason
that we have not understood nature and still trying to do it, but we
understand god, its system and its way of working, we even know its
relatives and different departmental heads, also its agents, simply because
we have created them.
There is difference between nature and God.
Nature’s principle : survival of the fittest.
God’s principle : protection to all, particularly to the weak.
We know that actually it is nature that rules this universe, and it is the principal
of nature that holds good due to which here on earth some species/races have
been completely wiped off(extinct) because they did not prove themselves. to be fit enough.
Having said this much, I would like to proceed as follows:-
I think the time has come to reconsider/rewrite the profile of god.
As we are now aware that we have ignored the nature for a long time and that due
to this ignorance lot of damage has been done to nature. Due to this awareness only
in the recent past we have started calling it ‘mother nature’ instead of just, ‘nature’.Therefore our new god should have profile and preferences in line
with mothernature. That means god should be simple, friendly,should appear to be
messanger of love and peace, should not exhibit /display or carry any arms, ammunition,
or weapons.God should also not be associated with display of wealth or lavish life style
God’s message must not contain any refernce to any evil force (shaitan) and must not instigate
human beings against human beings on any pretext.God’s message should also not differentiate
between human beings on the basis of caste, colour or creed.
Any human being choosen to symbolise god or its messanger must be simple, lovable, honest,
and so much original human being that every one can identify himself with that symbol of god.
If I am allowed to speak my heart , I find mohammed rafi as perfect qualifier to sybolise god.
Mohammed rafi, not the person, but the personality that his voice drafted in the minds.
I stop here and will proceed only after having received your comments on this.
Thank you for tolerating me.———–Bhumesh sharma.
dear saw sal pehele muje tumse payer tha muje tumse payer tha ajj vi hai kal vi rahega
THANK YOU BEENA JI FOR THIS WONDERFUL TRIBUTE TO OUR BELOVED RAFI SAAB WE FEEL AS IF IT IS OUR SENTIMENT
Dear Bina and all Rafi saab aficionados,
Reading Bina’s article was an electric experience for me. Although I live in the southernmost part of the country, we too are not immune to the ethereal influence of Rafi saab. Kahi Bekhayaal, particularly, is so dear to me. It was almost an year back it happened. I was coming down the staircase at home around midnight. My World Space Farishta station as usual was streaming the golden era music. Suddenly I was in the midst of a song by Rafi saab. I stood mesmerised until the song got over. I was all excited but anxious as well (since I missed the introductory part, I was anxious if I will be able to locate that song; I knew no details – film, year etc.) All that I had was the first line since it was repeated at the end. The programme was Tanhai by Mash (Maheswari Aiyer). The first thing I did next morning was to mail Mash with a request to identify the song she played the previous night and if possible re-broadcast it. I was overjoyed to receive the reply the same day with full details – the song is Kahi bekhayaal from Teen Deviyan. She also promised to broadcat it again the same weekend for me. Thus I listened to the song for the first time in full. Thereafter it remained close to my heart and I have even dared to sing it on a few occasions for stage down south. Everyone who hears this song is immediately curious to know more about it. So in my own little way, I habve popularised this song in South.
I am now reminded of another song – a gazhal by Rafi saab which still haunts me – in the same way as Kahi bekhyaal.This gazhal begins ” Mei kab gata mere swar mei”. I was lucky to hear this in a documentary clipping on Rafi saab. I have tried every possible source to get the full song. I even wrote to Mash (Worldspace). She wrote back she too is searching eversince I told her !
May be if any our friends possess this, it would be wonderful to share it thorugh this forum. Both kahi bekhayaal and Mei kab gata catapult Rafi saab to a celestial orbit far above mortal singers. And for we, the gretest consolation and contentment lies in the fact that we continue to live after Rafi saab’s era to enjoy this and share this in our own little ways.
Thanks a million, Bina, for taking me back on memory lane with your heartfelt words.
Regards,
Girish
Akthar saheb,
Thank you for your comments !
Otherwise these kind of fourms people do lot of mud slinging on LATA ; inspite of knowing that She is really superior than everyone. People did’t spare god , after all she is human being
Janab Sandeep Nadkarni Saheb and P. Haldar saheb,
Million thanks, for your valuable information. I am a computer illiterate, I don’t know how to load DVD. Sorry! Probably, I am going to ask Janab Saleem-ul-Haq , who compiled and arranged this DVD of rare songs of Rafi Sahab (live & bits).
Janab Haldar Saheb, it is nice and interesting to read your write-ups in this forum of our beloved Rafi sahab. Shukriya.
“Mai akela hi chala tha janibe manzil magar
Log saath aate gai aur karwan banta gaya”
With regards to all Rafi lovers,
Long live Rafi sahab,
Dr. Khaja Aliuddin
ref post 88:
Dr. Aliuddin sahab, I am taking the liberty of responding to your post. If you are referring to the musician standing behind rafi saab and playing the accordion, it is dheeraj. I had checked this fact earlier with prakash ji, who had connections with jaikishen. Prakash ji, where are you? We haven’t seen any post from you in a long time.
Dr. Khaja Aliuddin Saab. This refers your post 73 & 88
The show you have mentioned was organized for the naval star academy long back somewhere in the year 1965-1966 at the Brabourne Stadium situated at Churchgate – Mumbai and hence I do not profusely recollect the status of your inquiry very clearly now after almost a gap of 44 years.
However if you can arrange to please download the said video in this beautiful site I would probably be able to answer your question immediately
Please excuse me for the delay in replying to your query
Janab Sandeep Nadkarni Saheb, Adab Araz hai.
Please respond to my earlier post #73 in this forum. I am eagerly waiting for your reply. Shukriya.
With regards to all rafi lovers,
Long live rafi sahab,
Dr. Khaja Aliuddin
Bhumesh ji…everything has indeed changed in this world, as that is the only constant thing happening out here..what has not changed are those feelings that Rafi Saab’s songs bring alive..the nostalgic memories of childhood that take us back in time..
Krishnan ji, of course I remember you and your wife Radha and how you enjoyed the mehfil that day. Thank for taking the time to write and I am soo grateful for your nice comments.
Akhtar miya, sahi farmaate hain aap…Rafi Saab ka jawaab hain khud Rafi Saab.
Shukriya,
Bina
everythin has changed since the days I was 20 yrs.(I m 50 yrs. now), meaning of everything, impression of everythin, appearance of everything, interpretation of everything, feeling of, and about ,everything has changed. surprisingly something has remained absolutely unchanged and that are the waves that I ride whenever I hear mohammed rafi songs, particularly KAHIN BEKHAYAL HOKAR, exactly same thing used to happen whenever I heard mohammed rafi 30 yrs. ago.The fact that most of other things have changed for better or improved version of themselves, we have not been able to hear a better singing voice. is there nothing better than rafi sahb,s voice, is that no improvement is possibel and that the peak has been achieved, is there nothing beyond rafi sahab, does the god live right here……….. beside mohammed rafi…….?
Dear Bina ji,
We met at my brother’s place in Bangalore recently and it was a pleasant
surprise to read your wonderful piece about my eternal Rafi favourite. As i listened to kahin bekayal more closely, the haunting and romantic voice of
Rafi Saab touched my heart(mere dil ko chooliya). You have mentioned the velvety voice modulation of the master and here I would like to say “There can never be someone like Rafi saab”. Your splendid write-up and excellent
prose has made me hungrier for more posts from you.
M V Krishnan
What to say about Rafi Saab, i finds no word in hindi or english to mention his memorable voice……kuch to baat hai RAfi saab me and Lataji me jo hat kar hai sari duniya ki music ek taraf aur Rafi ki awaz ek taraf
Ramaswamy ji..the song you have mentioned… is it…log kehte hain ke hum tumse kinara kar le..tum jo keh do toh sitam yeh bhi gawara kar le?…from Bahu Begum. Jee, there are a few lady-fans in my age group in Bangalore who are absolute fans of Rafi Saab…we dont shake legs too much at this age..but imagine ourselves in our younger days doing that… Thank you for your nice words sir..
Mohan, am I glad that I insisted that you listen to this song once again..see what a change its made to your opinion…
Utthara aapne bhi toh chooliya hume with your sweet comments.
the dev-rafi combination has given us some fantastic ever-green numbers. When singing for Dev anand, Rafi saab matched his voice to Dev’s casual style and loose-limbed actions so nicely.
Songs such as Apni Toh Har Aah Ek Toofan Hai, Teri Zulfon Se, Teri Dhoom Har Kahin, Tu Kahan Yeh Bata, Din Dhal Jaaye, Khoya Khoya Chaand, Kabhi Na Kabhi, Main Zindagi Ka Saath, Sune Tu Dil Ki Sada, Ek Bhut Banaunga Tera Aur Pooja Karoonga, Mera Man Tera Pyaasa,…are treasured to this day and they transport me into another world…jahaan Rafi Saab ke charnon mein padhe hue main sirf unki aawaaz ko sunti rehi hoon…
rafi saab ki aawaaz ki deewani,
Bina
Hello Binaji,
Thanks for introducing me to this great song….I’ve never heard it so closely before, as after reading your notes on the song. Brilliant!!
Very touching review……very gentle, very heartfelt. This is the stuff love and sentiment are built on. Bahut khoob…
Mohan
Dear Bina,
Kya kahen! Bas, I am floored. All your passion for this song comes out in your every word and every line of this magic review. Like the song, it just
transports you to heaven.
Bina, not jus Rafi saab or SD Burman or Dev Anand, you too have
bewitched us with this splendid write-up. In fact your article is like
a melody __ a beautiful tune set to your beautiful words.
Yunhi chooliya kisine __ the song, the singing and your glorious
review.
Utthara
Nadkarni Saheb u took us to memory lane of Raj Kapoor’s Sangam.How good were those days people like Rafi saheb and greats like jaikishen ruled in bollywood, You were there pls I feel u were very lucky to be amongst those greats.
It is for todays generations we have to keep it live.
DEAR FRIENDS I HAVE FOUND RARE PICTURES OF RAFI SAAB WITH DEVANAND SAAB AND SACHIN DA THIS PICTURE HAS TAKEN DURING RECORDING OF SOME SONG KINDLY CLICK THIS LINKS TO VIEW THIS PICTURES
http://rafifanblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/rafi-saab-and-sachinda.html
http://rafifanblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/rafi-saab-devanand-saab-sachinda.html
Janab Sandeep nadkarni Saheb, Adab Araz hai,
Please respond to my previous post # 73. I appreciate.
With regards,
Dr. Khaja Aliuddin
Bina Bahen,
You are most welcome. Awaiting for your next episode.
With regards to all rafi lovers,
Dr. Khaja Aliuddin
Binaji,
Research ve…… rrrrry very well done on this superb rendition by our emperor Rafi Sahab. Hope more & more will flow from your pen. In all the Rafi shows many female fans like you go crazy and start shaking their legs and hips listening to his songs. You have really taken us back to our good old school days when we used to humn this melodious number. We Rafi Bhakths will definitely agree that each of his songs supercedes the other and vice versa. We are totally confused as far as ranking of his songs are concerned.
You may read my comment on “tum jo mil gaye ho – path breaker” (comment no.47 I think). List of around 15 songs are provided by me for fans like you to essay it. “Kahin Bekayal” was also included but since already written by you, I deleted it. You may also add two more to it: “Gum uthanekeliye” from Mere huzoor and “Log kehte hain sitam ye bhi hamara karle”( which film?). Expecting more from you.
Ramaswamy
You are welcome, Binaji.
Looking forward to more articles from you.
Adaab Rafi:
Mere pyaare Rafi Saab ke chahanewaalon:
Dear Firoz Ahmed Saab: I am reading your lines for Kahin Bekhayal Hokar with great happiness. It is indeed my good fortune to have received comments from honorable Rafi Saab’s family. Bahut shukriya Firoz Saab for extending this recognition to my humble tribute to Rafi Saab…
Rafi Saab’s grace in my life is divine…jinki awaaz se sooraj chamakta hai aur jinki andaaz se chandni hoti hai.
Dear Mr. Bijoor, Mr. Binu Nair, Rahul, Guruji, Narayanji, Gyanji, Saifullahji, Chandanji, Sabnaveesji, Shankar, Satyendraji, Imranji, Anmol Singhji, K.S. Maniji, Krish, Rashid Khanji, Nagesh, Ahamed Kuttyji, Manish, Sudarshan Iyengarji, Santosh Viswanathji, A.S. Murthyji, Vinatha, Sabi, Vikas Sharmaji, Manoj Kumarji, Raghunathji, Nadkarni Sahab, Hashim Khanji, Sahibaji, Anoop, Asha, ATM Salimji, Shrirang Navatheji, Ramesh Kurpadji, Pradeep Kumarji, Dr. Khaja Aliudinji, Deepali, Abdul Salamji, Anil Cherianji, Nagalakshmi, Myk, Sid, Jay, P. Haldarji, Bhumesh Sharmaji, Rafi Fan, Uday Singhji, Aniruddha Rao, Shashank and Muveenbhai….I am privileged to have received your encouraging and appreciative comments. I thank each one of you wholeheartedly.
Warm regards,
Bina
Janab Sandeep nadkarni saheb, Adab Araz hai,
I read all your e-mails with a great interest, zeal, enthusiasam, happiness and respect. They are all very sentimental and touchy. You are a real ardent fan of Rafi Sahab. I was watching today one DVD “songs of Mohd.Rafi” Live and rare songs. Most of the live songs are from a show with Shankar Jaikishan for naval star academy. There is one young man with eye glasses just behind Rafi sahab playing some instrument. As soon I saw this I thought about you. I am certain that’s you.
By the way this DVD of Rafi Sahab was compiled and arranged by Mr. Salee-ul-haq of Hyderabad,AP. This DVD is a collector’s item for rafi lovers.
Looking forward to hear from Sandeepji
with regards,
Dr. Khaja Aliuddin
Very well expressed feelings… no mixing of words… straight from the heart.
thank you and well done.
regards,
firoz
Its been my great fortune to have received so many comments on my attempt to analyse the wonder of Pujya Rafi Saab’s fabulous rendition of Kahin Bekhayal Hokar.
I treasure every single response posted on this forum. My dear friends, I am honored beyond expectation with your praise and the kind words you have bestowed on me.
I want to thank each one of you personally, who has taken the time to write in this forum.
I want to especially thank Sandeep Nadkarni Ji for taking us back in time into the studios where Rafi Saab sang, giving us the joy of that fleeting sensation of being in Rafi Saab’s presence. Such joy is what those special moments of life are made of…a place where only Rafi Saab lives.
For the love of Rafi Saab,
Bina
Bina ji – I have no words to appreciate the article ‘Kahin bekhayal hokar’. When I first heard the song I was say about 20 years old. This song has a everlasting effect on my memory. Now I am 56 years old but even now whenever I hear the song it brings back the very same Nasha I had in my young age. No wonder if we say ‘Music is Magic’ or ‘Sangeet murde men bhi jaan dal deta hai.’ In fact Bina ji has written all those things which every Rafi praiser would love to write but unfortunately words can never take place of emotions/respect for Rafi Sab. I shall await more articles from Bina ji -very well written.
post 62 …
Nadakarni Saab …
Please give ur contact number at Puttur…….
Narayan 09886779557…
P.R.O
Baar Baar Rafi Fan Club Bangalore
REF:POST-62
DEAR SANDEEP SAHAB
THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR POSTING OF THE DELIGHTFUL INCIDENT RELATED TO THE SONG RECORDING FOR THE FILM ” SANGAM ” !!!
ACCORDING TO ME , THIS SONG ( ‘ YE MERA PREM PATRA …’ ) IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ROMANTIC SONGS OF RAFI SAHAB AND IT IS ONE OF MY MOST FAVOURITE SONGS TOO !
BEST REGARDS/A.T.M. SALIM.
Dear Bina,
Too Good article u written.
Muveen
9971748099
Superb and fantastic article by Binaji. really such type of articles feels really good.
Respected sandeepji,
If any chance, you come down to Bangalore, please let us know so that we Rafi Fans would like to meet you and discuss what else but the common topic we all like, “RAFI SAAB”.
Dear Sandeepji,
Dying to talk to you over phone for a long long time as I am, like many thers, a die hard fan of Rafi Saab. Please do call me briefly at +91 98410 71388 so that I could call you back immediately and hear you talk about your little little experiences with Rafi Saab, however little the may be….!
I am a stage performer singing the legend’s numbers but would like to hear you more about Rafi Saab as I have, literally dedicated by life to him and breathe in and out Rafi Saab’s numbers and always thinking about him..
Looking forward to your call….
With lots of loove and best regards
Chandan
After I heard this song for the first time….I fell in love with it. The words are so soothing and with Rafi Saab singing it….its like a warm cup of coffee on a rainy day…
Unke baare mein kya kahen hum….Woh Khuda ki ek anmol ratan the….hum badnaseeb hain ke unke yug mein janam na le sake….par jabhi unki awaaz sunte hain toh aisa lagta hain…maano woh yehi hain…hamare saath!
We as a country are truly blessed to have singers like you…
I am indeed indebted for the love & affection showered on me by all the erstwhile fans & admirers of our dear Rafi Saab from this beautiful site.
Sandeep Nadkarni is just a very small fakir & still enjoys his life to the fullest which is probably on account of my guru Rafi Saabs teachings. Hum Rafi Saab ke pawan pairoon kee chotisee dhool hai aur iske siwa hamaree pehchan kuch bhee nahee. Hence please dont expect great expectations from me mainly since I am already 76 plus of age at present aur bharosa nahee kab upar wale ka bulawa ajaye kyon ke sirf upar wala hee jankar anjaan hai.
Though my esteem & self confidence till today is probably at the highest peak the required support is not rendered by my body language mainly on account of the ageing factor.
In-spite of the above factors I shall occasionally try & remember those golden memories and will definately share with all of you the beautiful anecdotes involved.
Today I intend to take a stroll down the memory lane in respect of the most cherished Raj Kapoor camp which indeed had great personalities befitting the RK Banner.
Raj Kapoor had announced the making of one of the most memorable, classic & colossal film titled Sangam and as usual the grand finale was ended on a note befitting the status of the greatest Showman.
All the songs of this film were super duper hits however there also existed a very beautiful song which was specifically reserved for the Greatest Mohammed Rafi Saab which as usual used to be as per the tradition set out by the Raj Kapoor camp in most of his films.
The final take of — ye mera prem patra padkar ke tum naaraz na hona ke tum meri zindagee ho ke tum meri bandagee ho –. I was in-charge as the arranger of the voilinist team & when Rafi Saab started — meheraban likhoon ya haseena likhoon — hairan hoon ke is khat mein kya likhoon — .
Poor me I was totally blank & spellbound & forgot my music notes to which Jaikishan almost got wild and abruptly flattered a stick on me in the process slightly injuring me. Rafi Saab as usual very cool & composed patted on my back by saying — beta ab bhulna nahee ho ja shuru —
Thereafter I did not know what had happened but I distinctly remember Jaikishan embracing me for the fantastc job completed with the great words of Rafi Saab — beta ab bhulna nahee ho ja shuru —
This was the immense Greatness of Jaikishan a human being par excellance & a personality of great principles. How sad was when Jaikishan left us for his heavenly abode so early at a very tender age of just 36 years.
This song is therefore dedicated in the loving memory of Rafi Saab & Jaikishan.
May their Souls rest in eternal peace !!!
I could be wrong, but the beautiful plucked string sounds that accompany rafi saab’s heavenly voice at the beginning of the song seem to be emanating from the afghan instrument called rabaab, which also became popular in kashmir. sd uses this instrument so effectively to create an aura around dev standing on a shikara, surrounded by a bevy of kashmiri beauties. Its progeny includes the sarod. I am going to make a wild guess now and I’d like mr. nadkarni to correct me. Is that pancham playing the rabaab? He could have also played the tabla, but brojen biswas is the more likely candidate. Given pancham’s training in sarod, it is possible that sd had asked him to play the rabaab. And this one is not as wild as the previous one: pancham most probably played the mouth organ in “khwab ho tum ya koi haqeeqat”. He was in his mid 20s then.
Sandeep ji: the rafi foundation keenly desires to locate film musicians and honour them wherever possible. recently, we honoured shri manohari singh the ace saxophone player in mumbai. this week he will turn 80 years and a big reception is planned on this saturday april 8th at dinanath mangeshkar hall at vile parle.
dada manohari singh needs dialysis twice a week. there are many musicians in dire need of medical aid too.
rafi foundation would like to help musicians with medicines wherever possible in mumbai. we have done this in the past but we will never publicise it. please be in touch with us and write to me few lines in my e.mail i.d.
for the love of rafi,
binu nair ……. binus2000@hotmail.com
Post 52….
Nadkarni sahab… Please give us ur contact numbers… We as a part of Baar Baar Rafi Fan Club would like to talk to you and request you to give us an opportunity to touch your noble feet. Since you have worked with our icon Rafi sahab Plzz share all these trivia for Rafi Poojaris like us.
Binaji is a very active member of our fan club and Haldarda you will be pleasantly surprised to note that 40% of our Rafi Bhakts are women. All of them are simply otustanding in their knowledge on Rafi sahab and their tastes are from the 50s and 60s…
Narayan
Bangalore 09886779557
Re: Post 52
Nadkarniji,
Indeed the song “Sawan ke maheene mein†is an amazing song with beautiful rendition. However, the same film, Sharabi, had another gem – “Mujhe le chalo aaj us gali meinâ€. Rafi Sahib had to be a great actor too to sing this song in a way that every word, every pause and every accentuation is so expressive. I heard this song after a long while from a DVD. It is so mesmerizing that I have heard it at least a dozen times and every time I have enjoyed it more than before. What a beautiful piece of poetry by Rajendra Krishan and what an amazing delivery by Rafi Sahib for wonderful Madan Mohanji.
Rafi fans listen to this song and let me know what you think about it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7k2XWBJ-HM
By the way, nothing to take away from the glory of “Kahin be-khayal ho karâ€, which has been beautifully presented in the article by Binaji!
A long and deep breath, at the end of article, kahin bekhayal ho ke, , made me realise that I was not breathing while reading this article, now, thanks I am alive, because of bina ji, or rafi sahab…?
Dear Sandeep Nadkarniji,
Reading the anecdotes that you have personally experienced with Rafi Saab gives me a deep thrill. Bahut hi mazaa aa raha hai aapke yeh comments
padkhar. Please keep sharing your experiences with Rafi Saab. It is like manna from heaven for us Bhakts.
Respectfully,
Bina
REF:POST-52
DEAR SANDEEP SAHAB
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING WITH US THE SWEET MEMORIES RELATED TO THE SONG OF ” SHARABI ” !!!
I ALWAYS LOVE TO READ THESE TYPE OF ‘ RARE ANECDOTES ‘ ABOUT OUR BELOVED RAFI SAHAB .
PLEASE DO SHARE WITH US – MORE OF SUCH BEAUTIFUL & UNFORGETTABLE
EXPERIENCES YOU HAD WITH RAFI SAHAB .
BEST REGARDS/ A.T.M. SALIM.
Mr. Sandeep Nadkarni,
Thanks for the nice anecdote about “Saawan ke mahine mein”.
Can you please share any stories about Rafi-saab and RDB, since you mentioned in another thread that you were a violinist in his team.
Binaji, great article on a song that I treasure dearly. It is refreshing to read an analysis of this beautiful song from a woman’s perspective. The target for more than 80% of Rafi saab’s songs was a woman, yet more than 95% of the articles and comments on this site are from men. I would encourage you and other women to contribute more frequently on this site.
The way rafi saab croons the first few lines “hmmm kahin bekhayal ho.o.o.kar yunhi chhnoo liya kisi ne” would make any woman swoon. In cricketing terms, this would be comparable to shane warne’s wrong ‘un.
teen deviyan released around the same time as guide. It is an important film because kishore da returns to the dev anand camp after a long break. He starts with a slow run up but then delivers a Waqar-like delivery at deadly pace: khwab ho tum yaa koi haqeeqat kaun ho tum batlao….
“dhadkanon ne suni, ik sadaa paaon ki, aur dil pe lahraai, aanchal ki chhaaon si” is pure magic. One face, two voices; dada strikes the right balance with two of his two favourite weapons; the third plays only a supporting role.
In my teenage days, I used to like “aise to na dekho” more than “kahin bekhayal hokar”, but as I grew older, the latter overshadowed the former. I wonder if anyone else had a similar experience.
I would like to share a very beautiful small anecdote for the beauty of a song rendered by Rafi Saab for the film Sharabi in which the evergreen Dev Anand was the hero. The music for this film was scored by none other than my own favorites Madan Mohan
The beautiful & the soothing song was “ Saawan ke mahine mein ek aag si seene mein “ the one with the sad version. As all aware the great Madan Mohan was on a very high note & pitch as usual and friends under this influence Madan always used to be the greatest amongst all.
Rafi Saab that day was indeed in a great mood and the way he has rendered & kept the pitch of this song was indeed commendable. It was probably a very rare occasion where Madan Saab was very pleased with the rendition and without any hurdles okayed the song in the very first take. Dev Anand who was also present at the recording was so pleased with Rafi Saab that he without any thoughts threw a lavish party at the then Sun-n-Sand hotel with Rafi Saab as usual cheering everybody however with a chilled glass of plain cold water.
My Dear Friends,
I thank each of you who has taken the time to read this review and post their comment. I sincerely want to thank you for the generous praise that you continue to shower on me.
Dear Sid, I have great respect for KK Saab, and definitely have no intention of having anybody see him in bad light. I have also praised him for the songs that he handled so well in the same movie.
Ehsaan Mere Dil Pe Tumhara Hai Doston, Yeh Dil Tumhare Pyaar Ka Maara Hai Doston…
Overawed,
Bina