Mohammed Rafi has sung the Holy “Mangalashtake”
By Mr D P Bijoor. I am forwarding a small incident which is very interesting and may be informative to the innumerable admirers & fans of Rafi Sahab. The said incident was available to me through a very old book/magazine written in the memory of our beloved King of Melody & Dearest Mohammed Rafi Sahab titled “Rafinama”.
Mohd Rafi and Lalita Deulkar
Mohammed Rafi has sung the Holy “Mangalashtake” (wedding rhymes) in Marathi in the wedding of Sudhir Phadke & Lalita Deulkar in the year 1949.
Our beloved King of Melody Mohammed Rafi Sahab has sung almost 11 duets with Lalita Deulkar. Lalita Deulkar became Lalita Sudhir Phadke after marriage. Prior to becoming a playback singer she was an actress and had started her career in the year 1938 with Bombay Talkies film “Vachan” where she had played the role of a friend of Devika Rani.
Slowly she ended up her acting career and started playback singing. In the year 1947 with the film “Saajan” music scored by C Ramchandra she started singing with Rafi Sahab and the popular song was “Kisko sunawoon hale dil humko tumhara hee aasra tum hamare ho na ho” . During this particular duet there was an incident where Rafi Sahab was almost new to the industry and Lalita Deulkar then was a top most & popular singer. As a result of this Rafi Sahab had a great pressure and was slightly afraid and was faulting while rendering the said duet with her. Sensing the fear of Rafi Sahab, Lalita Deulkar gave him the much required confidence and on the strength of which Rafi Sahab was able to render this duet with a class of touch.
Mohd Rafi and Lalita Deulkar
Considering this act of Lalitajee as a great help & kind of favor Rafi Sahab personally was not only present at the wedding ceremony of Sudhir Phadke & Lalita Deulkar but volunteered in reciting the Holy “Mangalashtake” (wedding rhymes) in Marathi in the year February1949.
The other duets of Rafi Sahab with Lalita Deulkar are as follows:
| Film | Song | Music Director | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saajan | Main hoon Jaipur kee banjaran canchal mera naam | C Ramchandra | 1947 |
| Saajan | Hum banjare sangh hamare dhoom machale duniya | C Ramchandra | 1947 |
| Nadiya Ke Paar | More Raja ho le chal nadiya ke paar | C Ramchandra | 1948 |
| Saawariya | Jara bachke maro pichkaree kalayee tumhari na lachke | C Ramchandra | 1949 |
| Sant Janabai | Hari hari mere tho Srihari | Sudhir Phadke | 1949 |
| Sant Janabai | Ved Shastra kar rahe hai pukar | Sudhir Phadke | 1949 |
Lalita Sudhir Phadke (Lalita Deulkar) ultimately left her singing career after the film “Sajani” in the year 1956.
This proves the sheer greatness and the multitude of the Greatest Ever Mohammed Rafi Sahab
Just saw the sudhir phadke movie and verified the rafi anecdote shown in the movie on your web site. Great research thanks!
The Great All Rounder Musician Mohammad Rafi Sahab will be remembered by coming generations. For his rendering of 15 to 20000 Songs in different languages, even classicle songs of Baiju Bawara etc. It is a surprising news for me that he sung Mangalashtaken in Marathi in the Marriage of Lalita Deulkar (His co-Singer) & Sudhir phadake. An unforgettable event. It is great historical event to be cherished, as all the three Stalwart Musicians are not there now. The famous duet by Lalitaji & Rafi Sahab – “Kisko sunaun hale di, hamako tumhara hee aasara, “Hum tumhare ho na ho hamko tumhara hee aasdara.” even noiw the song resounds in our ears. It is very difficult to choose the best songs sung by Rafi Sahab, as all songs are melodious & unforgettable. My Tributes & shat shat naman to Mohammed rafi Sahab.
Artists should be appreciated for their talent and religion, caste and creed must definitely not hold them back. However, unfortunately I think in the case of the great Mohd Rafi it has prevented him from being recognised and getting his due and truly speaking I feel the indian government has not given him the Bharat Ratna because of this reason, otherwise I would like someone to explain to me why he has not received it when others far less worthy have received it. DISGRACEFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great artists are not bound by religion, caste or creed, Art is above all to them
Great job! Please let me know from which book/magazine you got the photo of Lalita Deulkar Thanks.
thirty one years have passed since god took our rafisaab away from crores of fans all over the world,it seems”jaise kal ki baat hai” his voice most sweet,magnetic, melodious,velvet,evergreen and classic….it is and will be fresh in the next century and immortal till this musical world survives…yesterday various channels like zee punjabi,ndtv,samahe,a to z news,n others paid rich and glowing tributes to this greatest singer of millennium.fm vividhbharati radio station presented a programme having interview with veteran music director ravisaab under whose direction rafisaab sang various immortal melodies,same programme will continue in phases every sunday at 4pm…rafifans can listen to this long n wonderful tribute from ravisaab to rafisaab…ravisaab related various interesting incidents during recordings..never to be missed programme…sonu nigham paid well deserving tributes in his x factor programm e on sony..by singing loving ghazal from classic haqeeqat,versatile madan mohan composition….long before veteran manadeyjee classified rafisaab as gharana of music..how true it is.. rafisaab is immortal and sada bahar……….i go through all letters n articles in this site since long…great kudos..to binajee…all rafifans are with him…rafisaab is incomparable..
dear bijoor sb,
An intersting piece of information to all Rafi fans. Mr Shridhar Phadke also affirmed the same.Thank you for sharing the trivia.
Regards;
SHRIRANG NAWATHE
MUSCAT
Dear Kuldeep,
I am one of those fortunate persons in this world who share a personal touch with rafi saabs family memebers.To what u asked.They stay at the same place called rafi mansion.His son Shahidbhai, Daughters Nasreendidi,Yasmeen didi stay there .I have met them just this month on 3rd,They all are very busy with their businesses.But the spirit of rafi saab still is alive there.It is like a pilgrimage for me.
Take care
Dear Kuldeep, because mohd rafi said that he don’t want any of from his family should be in bollywood because he feel that not right place for them,
RAFIJI IS AN IMMORTAL CELESTIAL SINGER.
EVEN ALL THE GODS OF EVERY RELIGION SIT DOWN TO LISTEN TO HIM
HIS VOICE HAS NO RELIGION, NO LANGUAGE, NO CONTROVERSY, NO COMPLEX.
NO ONE CAN REPLACE HIM.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE IN HIS HEAVENLY ABODE.
MAHES
A great person with a great voice we will never get another Rafi sahab….
Dear Mr.Bijoor,
Thanks for sharing this information with all Rafians. I am a big fan of Rafisaab and I being a Maharashtrian am very familiar with the works of Shri Sudhir Phadke,In fact Mr.Phadke can also be called as the Mohammed Rafi of Marathi film music. This fact which you have presented in this article was also commented upon in a programme conducted by Zee Marathi channel on the great Phadke sahab and in this programme Shridhar Pahdke the son of Shri Sudhir Phadke was also present and he also affirmed the singing of the Mangalashtake by Rafi sahab in Sudhirji’s marriage-Mangalashtake are the most important part in the Maharashtrian hindu marriages.These are verses which include invocations of the Gods and Blessings given to the couple being wed.
Thanks for enlightening all Rafians.
Can somebody tell me who is survived in Rafisahab’s family, and why Rafisahab’s son not come in singing line?
Bollywood music born in 1940’s,child in 1950’s,young in 1960’s old in 1970’s because they tried to ignore the king and died in 1980….
What ever the singer is with mohd rafi as rd burman said mohd rafi never tried to sing better than him or her,as rd said in his last song with mohd rafi in film shaan that mohd rafi sang the song the way I can be able to sing with him….
Thanks for the information which was both interesting and informative. Where can I listen to the mangalashtak sung by the great Rafi Saab.
I recall having listened to a duet sung by Smt. Lalita Phadke and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi : “lage man mora aaj” in the raag miya ki todi.
Thanks a lot. The info was very interesting and informative. Where can i listen to the mangalashtak sung by the great Rafi saab. I recall listening to a duet sung by Smt. Lalita Phadke and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi : “lage man mora aaj” in raag miya ki todi.
thanks for adding to knowledge about our beloved great singer Mohd. Rafi Sahib. Kindly keep sharing such knowledge. Mohd. Rafi Sahib was not a human being but an angel.
Dear Shri Bijoor,
C Ramchandra gave much needed push to Rafisab in his struggling days. Two songs which you have mentioned from films Saajan and Nadiya ke paar were very popular in those days, after his most popular song from Jugnu with Noor Jahan. Rafisab very beautifully renders these songs with his tender and young voice. From 1948 onwards Naushad shifted from Mukesh to Rafisab, which was his turning point in his career. Regards
Bijoorsab,
Very interesting piece of information. ‘Rafinama’ should be uploaded for preservation.A few more details about this old book/ article may be provided.