Written by P. Haldar
He did send a letter. But it was not an apology letter. And it was not to her. It is the most celebrated prem patra that he delivered on Jai’s behalf, a year or so after they had stopped singing together. And it was at the height of their rift that he recorded Kaise kategi zindagi tere bagair, an unreleased song composed by Madan Mohan, recently released as part of an album by the composer’s son. (more…)
By Souvik Chatterji
Mohd Rafi with Jeetendra
Jeetender started his career in the early 1960s with the patronage of eminent director V. Shantaram. He was launched as hero opposite Rajashri in the film Geet Gaya Pattharone in 1964. At that time Jeetender had to face the competition from the rulers of bollywood films like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Rajender Kumar and others. Probably Jeetender spend his toughest time of the career to cement his place between 1964 to 1970, when viewers starting recognizing Jeetender and appreciating his acting and dancing skills. (more…)
By Padmanabhan NR
Mohd Rafi with Lata Mangeshkar and Jaikishan
Padmashri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna Lataji,
There are some people who are born great, some acquire greatness and there are still others on whom greatness is thrust. You appear to belong to the third category. Fifty three years after the so-called rift with Rafi Saahab, thirty three years after his death and eighty three years of your own life time, if this is the issue that is pestering you most, you are really great. I don’t know whether it was your own inner voice only or coaxing by your ‘advisers’ that prompted you to talk like this and that too, in such a brazen manner. Whatever it may be Lataji, it is abundantly clear that with a coterie of friends like these – and with liberal inputs from your own self – you don’t require any enemies. They are available in-house. Aplenty. (more…)
By Souvik Chatterji
Lata Mangeshkar and Rafi Sahab
Shankar Jaikishan were the musical duo who ruled bollywood films between the 1950s and 1960s. During 1963, a spat occurred between Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar over royalty. When the spat took place between Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar over the issue of royalty, between 1963 to 1967, both of them did not sing any duet songs. Lata contended that singer should receive royalty for their entire life for songs sung in films. Rafi contended that if singers don’t share the losses suffered by the film industry, they should not also share the profits. (more…)
By: H.A.K. Walijah
Mohd Rafi, Laxmikant, Pyarelal
Praising Rafi Saab, Pyarelal ji once said: “What can I say about a man jo tareef se bahut hi oopar hai, and had countless golden qualities? I am only able to feel my deep regard for him, not to express it. Rafi Saab aisi sargam thi jisse koi bhi raag ban saktaa tha. He could sing in any range or octave. If today’s composers are to flower, the Almighty should create nine Rafis more! Can we find even a single song of his that is badly rendered? Of course, he had a major role in our career, and yet I would single out one song to show his greatness as a human being. Laxmi-Pyare have the honor of composing the maximum number of songs for the King of Melody, Rafi Saab. Their total output for Rafi is closely followed by S-J. Together the LP-Rafi combination gave us many treats and amongst Rafi saab’s best ever sung songs are those composed by L-P. “Tere pyar ne mujhe gham diya” from Chaila Babu (1967) lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri was LP & Rafi saab’s first song together. It was recorded in 1961 but it got released in 1967. After the song was recorded LP gave Rafi saab 1000 rupees as that is what they could afford. (more…)
By: H.A.K. Walijah
Mohd Rafi
The 60’s were probably Mohd. Rafi’s greatest years. The decade started off with him winning his first Filmfare award for the title song in “Chaudavi Ka Chand” (1961). Throughout the decade he produced many hits with many top music directors, such as Naushad, Roshan, Madan Mohan, Ravi, Shankar – Jaikishan and others. Rafi’s prominence for the decade is the best it ever got for any singer in the history of Hindi Films and in the many of those movies he was the only male voice. The songs list goes as ~ Zindabad Zindabad e Mohabat Zindabad; Sangam Yeh Mera Prem Patra; Nain Lad Jaiye Hain; Tum Se Izhar-e-haal Kar; Waqt Se Din Aur Raat; Yeh Reshmi Zulfe; Ek Tha Gul Aur Ek Thee; Aaj Ki Raat Mere Dil Ki; Baharon Phool Barsoo; Mast Baharon Ka Mein; Aap Ki Pehlu Mein; Ye Parda hata do; Rahe Manva Dukh ki Chinta; Chalkey Tere Aankhon Se; Ahsaan tera hoga; Paon Chu Lene Do; Bade Miya Deewane; Janu kya Mere Dil; Kya Se Kya Ho Gaya; Madhuban main Radhika naache and many more. (more…)
By Salim K
Rafi Sahab with Jaikishen and Harindranath Chattopadhyay
No other singer has sung in that many languages as Rafisahab has. His vocals blessed many languages nationally and internationally whether it was Konkani, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi, Sindhi, Kannada, Gujarati, Telugu, Maghi, Maithili and Assamese . He also recorded a few songs in foreign languages such as Persian, Spanish, Dutch, Creole and English.
Rafi Sahab conquered another frontier when he sang for an entire album in English. The Music was given by Shankar Jaikishen and lyrics by eminent actor, writer, poet and freedom fighter Harindranath Chattopadhyay. The 2 songs of the album that most Rafians are aware of are “Although we hail from different lands” and the other “The she I love”. The former had the composition as “Baharon Phool Barsao” and the latter had the composition of “Hum Kale hai tho kya hua”. (more…)
By J.K. Bhagchandani
E-mail: jagdishkb@rediffmail.com
Mohd Rafi
Music and especially a song has been a very potent and perhaps most natural medium of expression of love and romance. Hindi films have very effectively used the songs at innumerable occasions to narrate the romantic facet of the story-line of the movie in a very creative and inspired way. The extent of depth, the passion or any other aspect of the romantic feelings that a 3 to 4 minute song can convey outshines the series of romantic dialogues lasting many-fold minutes.
A well known jazz vocalist Joe Williams once said, “I think that musicians should never forget about the intimacy of bringing two people together, and the aesthetic transference where you’re almost vicariously involved in a romance between other people.” This one sentence aptly signifies the nuance of a romantic song, the benchmark of ‘passion for performance’ that the performer (singer) needs to integrate in his/ her renderings. And at that benchmark Mohammed Rafi’s name will remain the foremost for not only achieving that but surpassing the same by many a mile. (more…)
By Souvik Chatterji
Mohd Rafi with Lata Mangeshkar and Jaikishan
Mohammad Rafi is considered to be one of the greatest playback singer that India had ever produced. Right from the early 40s till 1980 when he died, he was the ruler of playback singing in bollywood films. 1960 was a very notable year for Mohammad Rafi.
Few of the films where he had sung landmark songs were probably masterpieces. The lyrics and the compositions were the best in the history of bollywood music. For example his song in the film Chaudavi Ka Chand had the landmark song “chaudavi ka chand ho ya aaftab ho job hi ho tum khuda ki kasam lajawab ho” composed by Ravi can be considered as one of the ten greatest songs, Rafi had ever sung. The song was picturized on Guru Dutt. (more…)
Written By : Suneil Makwana
Rafi Sahab's Final Resting Place
I am Suneil Makwana from Mumbai and I am a big fan of The Legend Immortal & Eternal Singer Mohd. Rafisaab. I like to listen Rafisaab’s melodious songs and his voice give me peace to my mind. Unfortunately, I have not met the Legend because I have born in 1985 and I think it’s my bad luck Rafisaab left us in the year of 1980 but when I listen songs rendered by the legend I feel that he is somewhere around. (more…)