Immortal Rafi Sahab
This article is written by Mr. Shrirang Nawathe from Muscat (Sultante of Oman).
I am sure that, you are the ardent fan of RAFI SAAB, because you are spending your valuable time on these lines right now. Yes, you must be a Rafiaan. I salute Rafi Saab and then to all of you , who love him so much. Needless to mention that, I am too an ardent fan of Rafi SAAB.
Already, much had been written by numerous fans of Rafi Saab. Frankly speaking, for Rafiaans, every article on Rafi saab whether old or new one, has some value and special place in his/her emotional world. Therefore, these articles are the points of interest and are welcome by the fans.
Most of us know many facts about his Life. His birth, schooling, entry to Hindi film Music world and so on.. But, I want to share with all of you the rare of rarest facts, which surely gives the status to RAFI SAAB as NORTH STAR in FILM GALAXY.
Rafi Sahab entering movie hall
One of my friends, Mr. A.K.Shrivsastava who stays in Mumbai and runs an Orchestra since last 25 years, is a fan of Rafi SAAB to utmost degree. He shared this fact with me, telling that, while he (Mr. AKS) was a newcomer to industry and was setting up his orchestra, he had a chance to meet RAFI SAAB by vigorous follow ups with Recording Studio staff in Mumbai. On that day, my friend was having an information from sources that, Rafi Saab was going to visit the studio for Reocrding of a song to be composed by SAPAN JAGMAOHAN. Therefore, AKS had decided to wait for Rafi Saab. Ultimately, Rafi saab arrived in studio and went to rehearsal room for practice session. At the same time, my friend had an opportunity to meet Rafi Saab.
He met Rafi Saab the first ever in his life. The moment Rafi saab saw him, he (Mr. AKS) was full in tears, as he was unable to control the emotions. Then, my friend requested to Rafi Saab to have one photograph with him. Rafi saab promised him and asked him to wait for a photographer till the end of recording of a song.
To my firend’s greatest surprise, RAFI SAAB HIMSELF CALLED MY FRIEND AND THE AVAILABLE PHOTOGRAPHER TO TAKE THE PHOTO. THIS WAS JUST UNIMAGINABLE FROM A SINGER OF HIS REPUTE. THIS UNIQUE QUALITY WAS POSSESSED BY RAFI SAAB. ANY RAFIAAN AT SUCH MOMENTS WOULD HAVE HAD TEARS IN THE EYES, AND THE SAME HAPPENDED WITH MY FRIEND TOO ON THAT DAY. WHAT A PERSON RAFI SAAB WAS… JUST UNPARALLEL.
WE HAD ALL GREAT SINGERS DURING 50s & 60s, BUT, RAFI SAAB WAS NOT ONLY A GREAT SINGER, BUT ALSO, GREATER HUMAN BEING WHICH SEPARATES HIM FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD… RAFI SAAB HAD TOUCHED UNIMAGINABLE HEIGHTS DUE TO HIS SIMPLE LIVING HIGH THINKING STATURE.
The day of 31st July 1980 is unforgettable. In the constant company of Rafi Saab’s songs, last 27 years have gone by just like like 27 minutes. The voice of ALL INDIA RADIO ANNOUNCER (MR.DEVKI NANDAN PANDEY) still roams in the mind as fresh as it was sharing the news of sad demise of RAFI SAAB.
I feel that, the lines written by HASRAT JAIPURI for a film PAGLA KAHEEN KA, are just fit for RAFI SAAB. Please recollect his song… TUM MUJHE YUN BHULA NA PAAOGE, JAB KABHI BHI SUNOGE GEET MERE… SANG SANG TUM BHI GUNGUNAOGE… HAAN TUM MUJHE YUIN..
I am sure, YOU ARE WITH ME NOW…..
dear mr shrirang nawathe thanx for sharing a few unknown experience of meeting rafi saab, i would like to invite each and every body to visit our beloved rafi saab”s blog,total over 500 pages are there,please don”t miss any page,to go to next page,kindly click older posts,you will find bottom of every page,kindly visit this links,take care
http://www.youtube.com/user/mohamedparvez?feature=mhum#p/u
http://www.rafifanblog.blogspot.com
narayan sahab,
thank you very much for your deep regard for our saint. i understood on which context you have mentioned like this. before when i told the same some distinguished people had mentioned that in their mother tongue they address god in singular.
it makes no difference in what way they address our saint. that was their view. but i again insisted and slowly i found there is a difference & people have understood.
but still some are yet to be ‘ refined’ even though they are highly qualified.
dont worry sir, a diamond is a diamond where ever it is.
Dear fans,
Let us address our rev Guruji Maestro as Rafi sahab and avoid simple addressing by name.
Rafi sahab was called thus even by his mentor Naushad sahab and several leading film dignitaries.
Hello Mr. Nawathe,
if you had gone through my article on Dilip Kumar or Rajender Kumar, or Madanmohan, in http://stationhollywood.blogspot.com
automatically Rafi was referred over there. He was involved with most actors, composers, lyricists, directors for over 35 years and entered in our veins and arteries, without whom we cannot breathe or live. I always congratulated Mr. Pradeep for maintaining a blog like this. These days I find articles on Rafi in numerous websites like hamara forum, eternal rafi,etc.
The more people know him, the more they respect him. Keep writing more articles.
Thanking you,
Souvik Chatterji.
Happy Birthday Mohd.Rafi Saab And Naushad
MOHAMMAD RAFI IS THE GREAT. , WITH GOD GIFTED QUALITIES,THAT IS WHY HE IS THE BEST AND UNCOMPARABLE
Even Africans love Rafi Saheb’s songs.
dear Mr. souvik chatterjee, what a wonderful experience with the paanwallah in kolkata. surely, there must be thousands of such unknown rafians in india and abroad who adore rafi sahab as much as we all do. unfortunately, they are so widely scattered and unknown to many of us. it would be a good idea if some one went on tracing such hard-core rafians from the dinghy lanes and bylanes of all big cities. i am sure one will come across many thousands who have a lot to say on rafi sahab. such items of interest should be published more prominently in all fora.
rafi sahab you are really immortal.
you have set up such a beautiful musical family with all of us as your kids. we have so much of love & affection amongst us rafi sahab.
1. when i had been to mumbai on 30th july to attend rafi sahab’s special remembrance on 31st july at his mazhar, mr sirish kulkarni came to the bus stop in heavy rain & was very kind enough to arrange accomodation for me.
2. i became a close friend of mr a.s.murty, padmanabhan & srinivasan, even though we all are the residents of hyderabad we never knew before, till we came to know that we are ‘ rafians’
3. mr muhammed parvez keeps on sending me the various numbers of rafi sahab.
4. last week during my official tour to bangalore mr narayanan came all the way from a distance of 25 kms in his car & mr ahmed kutty came all the way from a distance of 15 kms by bus just to meet me. its to share the feelings about our rafi sahab.
5. here in hyderabad when i attended a musical programme in the residence of abbas ansari saab i was greeted with much fondness when they learnt that i am an ardent fan of rafi sahab.
here whats that magnetic force which is binding the people and bringing them together ?
the simple answer is the magical & musical power of rafi sahab. apart from having the same wavelength the worshippers of rafi sahab are quite friendly, cordial & share affections .
probably this great quality has been acquired by each rafian from the legend cum saint.
dear Sauvik,
1.-Thanks for reading my article.
2.-The instance at panwala shop is just touching.What a person rafi was….we do not have right words to describe his simplicity, thinking, and ofcourse the singing pattern.
3.-I must congratulate you for maintaning an excellent blog.
4.-Regards;
SHRIRANG NAWATHE
Thanks for the article to the learned author. Recently during the durga puja this year I went to Calcutta and went to a panshop next to Aminia restaurent. I saw the panshop had left a big poster of Rafi in his shop, I showed him the printouts of my artilces on Rafi in http://stationhollywood.blogspot.com
The person did not take any money for providing me the pan saying Rafi had ate pan from his shop when he came to Calcutta, and if I admire Rafi so much, then he cant take any money from me. I cant imagine that any person after 27 years of his death still can be as lovable and admirable like Rafi.
Souvik Chatterji.
dear Mr Murty,
1.- Exchange of thoughts gives a pleasure.
2.-Thank you very much for sparing your time on my writeup.
Regards;
Shrirang Nawathe
Dear Mr Azad Ilahibak ji,
1.-Thank you for sharing the valuable information with all of us.
2.-I am thankful to you for reading my article and expressions.
Best Regards;
SHRIRANG NAWATHE
Dear Mr Narayanan,
1.- Thank you for the comments.
Best Regards;
SHRIRANG NAWATHE
Dear Mr. Binu ji,
1.- Thank you for your inputs and appreciation.
Best Regards;
SHRIRANG NAWATHE
On 31 july 2007 there was an interview on a webradio about Rafi Sahab. The interviewer said that while Rafi was on tour in Suriname the second day there was a party in one of the best hotels in the capital of Suriname, Paramaribo. The special guest was Rafi. The interviewer was one of the luckiest people to be also on the party, as he said. On that party Rafi refused to eat meat and ate only vegetables. People asked him the reason for not eating meat. He said that he did that as respect of Mahatma Gandhi. One day earlier he paid a visit to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Paramaribo. He put a chain of flowers (mala) around the statue.
Shrirang
well done a great attempt and article from the heart. This shows ur love for Rafi saab like his millions of poojaris across the globe.
Dear Mr Ramakrishna ji
1.-It is so nice to read that, you were staying in Muscat till March 2006.
2.-You are true that, the wish to meet RAFI SAAB was not fulfilled for many.
3.-The Rafiaans like you & me always have regret and repenting for lifetime.
4.-Thank you for your reading and feedback.
Regards;
S. Nawathe
Ruhi Khan ji,
1.-Thank you for reading my article as well as for sharing one more unparallel incidence with all of us.
Regards;
S. NAWATHE
Mr. navathe ji, thanks for your prompt response to me and to others. Not too many persons who had known rafi sahab intimately and who have earlier worked with him have come out in the open. we do not know the reasons, but despite deep within their hearts each one of them have the utmost respect for rafi sahab , they have not shown it publicly over the last several years. we get to know of such anecdotes very rarely but would love to hear more of them. for us rafi sahab’s voice is all encompassing and one which gives a healing touch. listen to any song from the late 1940s to to the late 1970s, the singing style is distinctive and moulded to perfection. no singer in my opinion could mould his or her voice to the situation that the song demanded, as much as rafi sahab could. we have listed to all the singers from the 1950s to 1980s and find that rafi sahab stood on a different pedestal and at the very alter where there is place for only one. keep posting such details, however minute they may seem to be, for they give an insight into hitherto unknown facets of the phenomenon call mohammed rafi sahab. thanks very much once again.
On Aug.1st 1980 it was pay day to staff and since I had the responsi
bility of disbursement, I could not attend rafi saabs – final resting
rites. I had to choose between my job and the visit to bandras juhu
cemetry. I chose the former.
Now I remember the day when the announcer said over vividh bharati
on aug 1… “listen to the song : mujhko mere baad zamana doondega,
dil ka soona saaz, taraana doondega… sung by marhoom mohd rafi
saab. the announcer could be :devki nandan pandey as reported by
shri shrirang nawathe.
good article nawathe saab… pl. keep it up..
binu nair.. ///the rafi foundation//// mumbai… binus2000@hotmail.com
sri navathe jee,
its a matter of regret that i could not meet you in muscat as i am knowing about you now only. in fact i was working as electrical engineer in the ministry of deffence in muscat till march 2006.
now coming back to your article i too had the deep crave to meet rafi sahab in person. my longing to meet rafi sahab was in april 1967 when i was in bombay. but its my shyness which has pulled me back all the times. i used to think rafi sahab is a big man and he may ignore me. but latter i came to know that rafi sahab is a very simple & extremely hospitable person by nature. my own shyness had become my enemy for which i am repenting for my lifetime.
Dear Mr. Husain Sheikh,
1.-Thank you for your prompt response.
Best Regards;
SHRIRANG NAWATHE(FROM MUSCAT)
Dear Mr Murty,
1.-I thank you for your valuable compliments.
2.-It was my first try as such the language may not be up to the mark.
3.- In fact, I was inspired by the writings of you and other Rafiaans who contribute to the site from time and again.
4.-I am thankful that, my article has been accomodated and read by the fans like you.
Best Regards;
SHRIRANG NAWATHE(FROM MUSCAT)
Music Director Omi, narrated this anectedote to the audience during the course of our musical programme ” Remembering Rafi, With Sonik Omi ”
During the final recording of a duet, Rafi Saheb arrived at the Studio at the appointed hour, the musicians were all ready, but the female artist called to say that she was unwell. The Recording was cancelled. Those days there was no system of Cancellation Charges for the musicians. For them it was no work no pay. However Rafi Saheb quietly slipped a bundle of notes in my hand, and whispered…. musicians ko de dena. ”
NO wonder…Dil ka suna saaz tarana dhoonde ga, Teer e nighahe naaz, nishana dhoondega. Mujh ko mere baad zamandhoonde ga.
dear Mr. KK,
1.- Thank you for your comments.
Regards;
SHRIRANG NAWATHE
This is one of the best qualities Rafi Saheb had. He is/was God’s man.
correction in my earlier post : please read the last line as “is blessed indeed to not only have met rafi saheb” and not as otherwise mis-typed by me. thanks.
Mr. Shrirang Nawathe Ji, welcome to the home of rafians. the story narrated by you is very touching indeed and we thank you for providing us with the information. We all believe rafi sahab to be one of the greatest human beings, besides being the greatest playback singer ever that our country has produced. we are proud to be indians in the company of fellow indians like rafi sahab. you will recall that long back in one of my articles, i had requested all the living persons connected to bollywood to recall their association or meetings with rafi sahab for the newer generation to know the phenomenon that rafi sahab was. that is the reason i thank you for providing us with such staple memorablia from people who have seen rafi sahab at close quarters. your friend mr a k shrivastava is blessed indeed to not have met rafi sahab but to have been also photographed along with the legendary figure.
asmurty2@rediffmail.com
welllllll……….. its a great article…….
we all love maestro rafi sahab…..
A COMPLETE PLAYBACK SINGER