Written by J.K.Bhagchandani

Mohd Rafi

Nature is God’s most powerful and captivating symbol of HIS presence on this planet. Being near to nature is believed to be being near to God. The nature has inspired and spurred the creative instincts of artists of almost all streams to produce their artistic creations and showcase their talent. Painters have been fascinated by different facades of nature to capture its various colours on canvas. Poets, novelists have written many classics in the process of describing the beauty, the serenity of the nature.

Film lyricists also have very beautifully penned down umpteen number of rhythmic lines for many wonderful songs glorifying the nature. Such nature-inspired songs not only enrich the aesthetics of the composition but also provide an opportunity for the film maker to capture some breath taking visuals of the nature. These songs also help in portraying the character on the screen and his feelings. And when a song of a theme as divine as nature is sung by a voice as Godly as of Rafi saab… the result is bound to be ‘sheer magic’. This write-up is just a small attempt to celebrate some (randomly picked) songs of Rafi saab where one beauty of the nature is combined with another beauty of nature (Rafi saab’s voice). (more…)

Compiled by: Mr. Biman Baruah, Sivasagar, Assam

Rajkumar and Mohd Rafi

Rafi Saheb had sang some milestone songs for prominent & stylish actor Raaj Kumar in some highly memorable films: Ghamand, Nausherwan-E-Adil, Mother India, Phool Bane Angarey, Kaajal, Neel Kamal, Mere Huzoor, Heer Raanjha, Maryada, Lal Patthar, Pakeezah and Chambal Ki Kasam.

In the early 1950s, Kulbushan Pandit, a sub-inspector of the Mumbai police gave up his job, changed his name to RAAJ KUMAR and made his acting debut in the film RANGILI (1952) which was unnoticed. In the next five years, he acted in few incomprehensible films which failed to launch his career. In 1957, Mehboob Khan’s Oscar nominated classic blockbuster film MOTHER INDIA where he played a role of poor farmer, established him a lead actor in Hindi Film. After that there is no looking back for him, he acted in more than 70 films in a career of four decades and played leading, central supporting or villain roles. His most notable performances were in hit films like PAIGHAM(1959), DIL APNA AUR PREET PARAYI (1960), GHARANA (1961), DIL EK MANDIR (1963), WAQT (1965), HAMRAAZ (1967), NEEL KAMAL (1968), HEER RAANJHA(1970), LAL PATTHAR (1971), PAKEEZAH (1972) and HINDUSTAN KI KASAM (1973), out of which he got Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for DIL EK MANDIR & WAQT.  He was best paired with Meena Kumari and Mala Sinha. (more…)

Written by Mr. Amarjit Singh Kohli, Chairman, Yaadgar-e-Rafi Society

Rafi Memorial Function, held in Chandigarh on 6th Dec, 2009

Born on 24th December 1924 in a small village in Amritsar District, Rafi made his debut in Punjabi Film ” Gul Baloch” in 1944 with the song “soniyi ni heeryi ni” set to music by Shyam Sunder. Rafi was so enamoured of Kundan Lal Saigal that he participated as a chorus singer in Saigal’s song in film Shahjehan (1946) “Roohi roohi roohi, mere sapnon ki raani“, composed by Naushad.

Rafi remains till today the most versatile of all the singers who could sing any type of song. In classical he rendered masterpieces like ” madhuban mein radhika“; in comedy “sarr jo tera chakraye“; in pop “laal laal gaal“; in softness “suhani raat dhal chuki“; in boisterousness ” kaan mein jhumka“; in anguish ” yehi armaan lekar aaj apne ghar se hum nikle“; in ecstasy “ jiya o jiya kuchh bol do“; in qwwali “aaj kyon hamse parda hai“; in bhajans ” man tarpat hari darshan ko aaj“; in patriotic “kar chale hum fida jaan o tan saathiyo“. (more…)

Written by Mr. Souvik Chatterji

Rafi with Shankar of SJ fame

Mohammad Rafi was the virtual ruler of world of playback singing in the 60s. As far as his combination with Shankar Jaikishan is concerned, generally the loud numbers gather popularity due to the pomp and grandeur of those songs.

For example Rafi’s song “chahe koi mujhe jungle kahen” in Junglee, picturised on Shammi Kapoor, “kaun hai jo sapno me aya” in Jhuk Gaya Aasman picturised on Rajender Kumar, “jiya ho jiya ho jiya kuch bol do” in Jab Par Kisi Se Hota Hai, picturised on Dev Anand, “Japan, Love in Tokyo”, in Love in Tokyo, picturised on Joy Mukherjee, “april fool banaya, in April Fool picturised on Biswajeet , etc., were the most popular songs of those films. Shankar Jaikishan’s innovative orchestrations were involved with all these songs. (more…)

Written by Mr. Ramesh Narain Kurpad

My dearest rafi bhakt’s,

SCENE – SWARG LOK – MASS GATHERING – UPROAR – GOD PRESENT

RAFI  SAHAB – STILL NOT CONFERRED BHARAT RATNA

Rafi Sahab

Continuing from where I momentarily signed off, now I can see, a great congression of film personalities to all humans between 1924 to 1980 gathered around emotionally engaged into a hot and heated debate in the heavenly realms of the almighty. Swargiya Kundan lal Saigal, K.C.Dey, Punkaj Mullick, Founder of Prithvi theatres, New theatres, eminent film personalities of Bengal, Netaji Subhas Bose, Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai patel, – Mukesh, hemant kumar, talat mahmood, Raj Kapoor, Ashok kumar, kishore kumar, anoop kumar, s.d.burman, r.d.burman, madan mohan , sj, lp, and lastly kishore kumar  – he started crying vehemently, pointing an accusing finger at the Lord God himself. (more…)

Written by Mr. Padmanabhan NR, President, Rafi Foundation, Hyderabad Chapter & member Baar Baar Rafi, Bangalore.

We often discuss on this forum as to how Rafi Saahab could emote so heartfully the different sentiments of human behavior in different sets of circumstances. We also come to the conclusion that he was a superhuman that was blessed with not only an expressive voice but also a keen understanding of the human nature itself.

Mohd Rafi

We know of singers who specialize in different genre of songs; A Mukesh for sad romantics, a Kishore Kumar for those playful experimentations and also contemporary choices, a Hemant for serious romantic beltings, a Talat for ghazals and a Manna De for those classical based songs. Each had a particular constituency to service and it became his domain also. (more…)

Contributed by Mr.Mohan S.Murdeshwar, Borivili (W), Mumbai 400 092

Mohd Rafi

MOHD RAFI, a voice that thrilled and entertained millions of music lovers around the world was a humble and kind hearted soul who rose to unmatched popularity as a playback singer in his relatively short span of life but ruled over the hearts of countless music lovers across three successive generations.

He was gifted with a enchanting voice which enthralled his fans for over three and half decades in his short life of 55 years. There is hardly anybody in the Hindi film industry who has disliked RAFI SAHAB. His detractors if at one may call them so, could not but agree that He was the undisputed King of Melody had a larger following than any other playback singer in the golden era of  Hindi film music. (more…)

Written by Mr. Souvik Chatterji

Mohd Rafi celebrating birthday with Shankar-Jaikishan and Prithviraj Kapoor

Music lovers all across the world remember, the unforgettable musical maestro Mohd Rafi, on his birthday on 24^th December, 2009. He passed away in 1980 and 28 years have passed after his death. Yet he had created an everlasting appeal during his 35 years illustrious career which has not faded away at all.

Whenever his reference comes music-lovers imagine about “do sitaron ka zameen par hai milan” composed by Naushad, “mai gayoon tum so jao” composed by Shankar Jaikishan, “ab kya misaal doon” composed by Roshan, “chaudavi ka chaand” composed by Ravi, “mai zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya” composed by Jaidev, “janewalon zara” composed by Laxmikant Pyarellal, “pukarta chala hoon mai” composed by OP Nayyar, “teri aankhon ke siva” composed by Madanmohan, to name a few. (more…)

This article is written by Mr.M.V.Devraj

Mohd Rafi

In film music there has always been an endless and inconclusive discussion as to who contributes the most, the Music Director, the Lyricist or the Singer. A non-controversial surmise would be that it is the collective and combined efforts of all these participants that make or mar a song. Be that as it may, it is my submission that Rafisaab, by his voice modulations and immaculate diction has always elevated the songs sung by him to another level.

Not only that, in some of the songs, with his fantastic rendition of the pre-mukhda lines Rafisaab creates the mood of the song, he enhances the specific mood and elevates the mood to an altar which no other singer can ever match. It is again my humble submission that these creative contributions by Rafisaab were much beyond the effects envisaged by the Music Composers and have converted these compositions into everlasting diamonds. (more…)

This article is written by Mr. Achal Rangaswamy

Mohd Rafi

My great friend of over 23 years Bashir Shaikh, who is another film and cricket freak like me wrote to me via my blog some time back. He was writing in response to my maiden write up on my blog on my idol and inspiration- the great Mohd Rafi Saab.

I want to share with you all what bashir wrote: (more…)