Visitor article by Ashok Vaishnav persevering with the centenary celebrations of Mohammad Rafi (24.12.1924-31.7.1980)
(Amongst many romantic solos of Rafi there are a number of gems hidden below the layer of superhit songs. A few of the hidden gems are extra melodious than superhit songs. Our SOY common and visitor creator at present, Ashok Vaishnav, throws the highlight on some such gems. Ashokji is a is a prolific author for SOY on a wide range of themes. He’s a identified Rafi-fan, and it was unthinkable that he wouldn’t take part his centenary celebrations
As a retired engineer and now a administration coach Ashokji brings analytical rigour to his articles. He’s primarily based out of Ahmedabad. Thanks Ashokji for this fascinating write-up. – AK)
The spectrum of Mohammad Rafi’s songs via his complete profession accommodates innumerable hues and shades, even inside a given style. Furthermore, each historian or an analyst or a fan of him who’ve been writing, or airing the views, about his songs have had their very own context or view. As such, each piece has all the time come out as a very totally different view below the kaleidoscope. It will, maybe, be a really secure wager to say that something written or stated about Mohammad Rafi’s songs will begin repeating if, and solely when, human imaginations and pursuits (and even these of AI sooner or later 😊) will attain their limits. The event of celebration of Mohammad Rafi’s delivery centenary yr has made the viewing of the spectrum of Mohammad Rafi’s songs extra intense and extra microscopic, and therefore, rather more fascinating.
Hindi movies have produced one thing like 80,000+ songs by the top of second decade of the current century. It may be safely assumed that the share of ‘above common’ – whether or not by way of parameters like high quality of composition, lyrics singing, or reputation, or being evergreen – could be inverse of (the well-known) 80:20 rule.
The everyday regular distribution curve normally has round 10% ‘Wonderful’, round 15% ‘above common’, round 50% ‘meets expectations’ (common), additional 15% ‘under expectations’ and the final 10% or so of ‘critical below efficiency’ outcomes.
As may be anticipated, Mohammad Rafi’s songs too would have had had its ‘regular’ share of what may be universally termed as ‘all time greats’, ‘excellent, ‘adequate’ and ‘simply common’ or ‘mere industrial’ songs. Nevertheless, once we see extra deeply, we observe that, inside every of those patterns, there are a number of songs which have been ‘eclipsed’ behind the some or different issue.
Presently, I’ve chosen to discover such ‘hidden’ gems of Mohammad Rafi’s solos from throughout the broad canvas of ‘all time greats’ and ‘excellent’ classes. I set my filter to at least one music director who could be thought of to have carried out main work with Rafi at a time. Within the course of, on the first lower my choice threw up multiple music below this filter. Since, the goal is to current as many as doable songs of Mohammad Rafi throughout his delivery centenary yr, I’ve picked up all these songs after which additional filtered the one which I think about as THE HIDDEN GEM’.
Fifties is usually thought of as Rafi’s greatest interval by way of his benchmark setting voice high quality and vary of genres. ‘60s is taken into account to be the interval the place Hindi movie music leaned extra in direction of reputation. 1969 (Aradhana) is taken into account to be the top of Rafi’s nearly solo domination. As such, I’ve remained throughout the interval of the 20 years of ’50 and ‘60s for the aim of this text.
For arranging the songs right here, I’ve adopted the ascending order of the yr wherein Mohammad Rafi sang the primary ever solo for that music director (talked about within the bracket after the title of the respective music director).
1. Ishq deewana husn bhi ghayal dono taraf ek dard-e-jigar hai – Sanghursh (1968) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni – Music: Naushad (1946)
Deedar (1951) was a serious milestone in Mohammad Rafi’s profession, because it not solely marked his long-term affiliation with Dilip Kumar as unquestionably his playback voice, but additionally as a stepping-stone to the digital domination within the subject of male playback singers, within the face of a number of the most interesting competitors.
Naushad did give music past Dilip Kumar ambit since then – for Bharat Bhushan (Baiju Bawra, 1952; Shabab, 1954 and Sohni Mahiwal, 1958; for Rajendra Kumar (Mere Mehboob, 1963, Palki, 1967 and Saathi, 1968 and for Pleasure Mukherjee Saaz Aur Awaz, 1966). Of those, Palki – the movie in addition to music was as a lot an abject failure as Mere Mehboob was a grand success. Saathi had Mukesh as male playback. Additionally, success of the music Saaz Aur Awaz may be thought of as ‘simply common’.
In as far as male songs of Dilip Kumar movies is worried, each movie, by and huge, adopted a template of a minimum of one comfortable and one unhappy music. The songs inside this sample additionally appeared to be additional forged in Naushad’s personal mould for these kinds of songs. Nonetheless, every of the music may be stated to have been capable of stand on its advantage. Nevertheless, when my search reached Sanghursh (1968), it involuntarily stopped.
The songs within the movie had been eclipsed behind the story line and the performing of all of the actors within the movie. Even the opposite romantic male solo music from the movie, Jab dilse dil takarata hai mat pucchiye kya ho jaata hai appeared to me to overshadow the current music, regardless that the current music is extra pleasing, extra romantic, and extra Rafi-like.
2. Dil mein ek jaan-e-tamanna ne jagah payi hai, aaj gulshan mein nahin ghar mein bahar aayi hai – Benazir (1964) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni – Music: S D Burman (1947)
Despite the fact that technically Mohammad Rafi’s affiliation with S D Burman commenced so far as again in 1947 with Do Bhai, Rafi may be stated to have been the centrepin of S D Burman’s music with Pyasa (1957), until Information (1965). On this interval, nearly all songs for Dev Anand invariably stay etched within the reminiscence of the HFM listeners. In movies like Solva Saal or Baat Ek Raat Ki, Rafi songs on Dev Anand had been basically secondary songs. Even Akela hun main is duniya mein (Baat Ek Raat Ki, 1962 – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri), in any other case a really pleasing music stays overshadowed by Na tum hamein jaano (Hemant Kumar).
Nevertheless, the case of current music may be very distinctive. I price the current music as one of many most interesting SD Burman’s Rafi solo, from any angle. However Benazir itself didn’t do nicely on the field workplace. Furthermore, it was a woman-centric movie, and the character of Ashok Kumar was extra essential male character. Shashi Kapoor and Tanuja had been basically in comparatively minor facet roles. S D Burman’s music, for a Muslim social drama was nicely acclaimed. But it surely was pure that Lata Mangeshkar songs will get extra prominence. All these elements had been greater than sufficient to script the overall eclipse of the current music.
3. Teri pasand kya hai ye mujhko khabar nahin meri pasand ye hai ki mujhko hai tu pasand – Ek Din Ka Badshah (1964) – Lyrics: Jugal Kishore – Music: Hansraj Behl (1948)
What is often categorised as B or C movies within the movie trade had been made on shoe-string budgets. Due to this fact, it lacked many sights of the A category movies. Nevertheless, these movies invariably had most gifted music administrators of the trade. As such, even when the movies had been focused to particular audiences, the music of the movie had had common attraction. There are lots of instances the place the songs have lifted the movies to box-office successes.
In such a peculiar situation, one can write an unbiased article on Mohammad Rafi’s best-of-class romantic songs in B or C grade movies which have been eclipsed behind the box-office failures of those movies.
I’ve maintained one music for every music director for the current article. Nevertheless, Shankar-Jaikishan’s affiliation with Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra has led me to make an exception.
4. Chaar dinon ki chhutti hai aur unse ja ke milna hai – Aas Ka Panchhi (1961) – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri – Music: Shankar-Jaikishan (1949)
I had an alternate music, too, for consideration – Phool sa chehra chand si rangat chaal qa yamat kya kahiye (Raat Aur Din, 1967- Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri – Music: Shankar-Jaikishan).
Nevertheless, I lastly chosen the current music as a result of it’s hidden behind a number of shadows.
Rajendra Kumar struggled for fulfillment within the early movies, earlier than the 1961 hits Gharana and Sasural despatched him into orbit of ‘jubilee star’. Gharana and Sasural had been launched inside one month of one another. Each had been produced by the well-known manufacturing homes of South. And each had used nearly comparable template for Rajendra Kumar – be his roles, be his performing type, be songs filmed on him and all that.
Aas Ka Panchhi was launched nearly a month earlier. This movie appeared not forged on this success formulation template. Shankar-Jaikishan had used three playback singers – Subir Sen, Mukesh and Mohammad Rafi for him, as will also be seen in early Rajendra Kumar movies. Subir Sen and Mukesh solos from the movie are extra within the SJ types, whereas the current music is completely totally different.
Evidently ‘jubilee star’ type or SJ’s personal types have overshadowed the current music not falling into any of those identified patterns.
5. Kahan ja rahe the kahan aa gaye hum, kisi ki nigahhon se takara gaye hum – Love Marriage (1959) – Lyrics: Shailendra – Music: Shankar-Jaikishan (1949)
The music is as a lot a Shailendra or a Shankar-Jaikishan music as a refreshingly totally different music. It suits Dev Anand type like a T.
Nevertheless, plainly two different towering songs from the identical movie – Dheere dheere chal chand gagan mein (Rafi, Lata – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri) and Kahe jhum jhum raat ye suhani (Lata – Lyrics: Shailendra) have merely overshadowed the current music.
6. Masti mein chhed ke tarana koi dil ka, aaj lutayega khazana koi dil ka – Haqeeqat (1964) – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi – Music: Madan Mohan (1950)
Madan Mohan’s songs for Lata Mangeshkar have remained excessive level of his repertoire, and consequently his work with Mohammad Rafi has remained below the shadow of these songs. The listing of movies with Madan Mohan’s songs for Mohammad Rafi itself far too massive to relate right here.
Even the shortlist of Madan Mohan’s romantic songs that I would favor to categorise as hidden gems too turned out be fairly gorgeous. The songs like Main nigahein tere chehre se hataun kaise (Aap Ki Parchhaiyan, 1964 – Lyrics: Raja Mehndi Ali Khan), Meri mehboob milakar kahin aur mujhko (Ghazal, 1964 – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhiyanvi), Tu mere saamne hai (Suhagan, 1965 – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri), Kuchh aisi pyari surat mere dilruba ki hai (Naya Kanoon, 1965- Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri), Tere kuche mein tera diwana (Heer Ranjha, 1970 – Lyrics: Raja Mehndi Ali Khan) appeared to make my alternative of the music for the current article fairly formidable.
Nevertheless, the current music made my job really easy. Right here is the music that clearly had no likelihood in any respect within the comparability of any of the opposite songs from the movie. Filming of the music on Vijay Anand didn’t assist.
When all is claimed and carried out, that is the music that simply ranks very excessive from among the many songs that I’ve offered on this article.
7. Abhi na phero nazar zindagi sanwaar to lein ke dil ke sheeshe mein hum aapko utaar to lein – Biradari (1966) – Lyrics: Prem Dhawan Music: Chitragupta (1950)
Chitragupta’s preliminary profession was buried below litany of B and C grade mythological movies. Success of Bhabhi turned the leaf of his profession. Since then, he’s credited with many excellent Lata Mangeshkar, and fairly a number of ‘excellent’ Mohammad Rafi songs. These songs took him into the orbit of ‘profitable’ music administrators however couldn’t take him into the ranks of ‘the highest’ music administrators.
8. Fundamental kho gaya yahin kahin, jawan hai rut saman haseen – 12 O’ Clock (1958) – Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri – Music: O P Nayyar (1953)
O P Nayyar is a kind of music administrators who had been instrumental in making Mohammad Rafi as ‘THE’ widespread man’s singer. Actually, one could not need to work very exhausting to search out his Mohammad Rafi songs that had been far above common and very fashionable as nicely.
The Mohammad Rafi songs that he composed for Guru Dutt’s gentle /thriller films earlier than Pyasa (1957) had been profitable sufficient to simply overcome the not-so-romantic display picture of Guru Dutt, the actor.
Nevertheless, the current music is probably too romantic to have grow to be the exception to this formulation. The truth that the music is kind of tough to sing for the viewer of sunshine, simple movies, maybe, additionally has not helped.
https://youtu.be/BVdw5hVWpjI?si=RSHEaiRbbKeNO6nr
9. Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo, mere junoon meri vahshat ka imtihaan lo – Babar (1960) – Lyrics: Sahir Ludhiyanvi – Music: Roshan (1954)
Roshan and Rafi got here collectively in 1954, nonetheless it was Barsat Ki Raat (1960) that actually went on to flood with a number of the most remembered songs for this mix. Barsat Ki Raat went on to open floodgates of profusely profitable relationship between Roshan and Sahir.
Nevertheless, that outpouring of success has merely left dry the superb music rating of maiden movie – Babar (1960) wherein Roshan and Sahir got here collectively.
https://youtu.be/JSmeq0fqA50?si=9kdD-p9lHNDq33bY
10. Jaane kahan dekha hai tumhein, kahan dekha hai tumhein, jaagi jaagi annkhiyon ke sapano mein jaane kahan dekha hai tumhein – Biwi Aur Makaan (1966) – Lyrics: Gulzar – Music: Hemant Kumar (1954)
It will be no one’s fault if one wouldn’t anticipate a Mohammad Rafi romantic solo composed by Hemant Kumar! That too, in a comedy movie whereby Mahmood is main the present!
Nevertheless, for the data, Hemant Kumar has composed yet another such music, too – Tera husn rahe mera ishq rahe (Do Dil, 1965 – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi).
11. Mere mehboob mere saath hello chalna hai tujhe, roshni leke andhere se nikalna hai tujhe – Gyarah Hazar Ladkiyan (1962) – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi – Music: N Dutta (1955)
Bharat Bhushan was one of many heroes who had enviously profitable songs in Mohammad Rafi’s voice, even when movies didn’t do nicely on the field workplace.
Right here is an undoubtedly N Dutta composition that appears to have been hidden behind extra profitable duet model of Dil ki tamanna thi masti mein manzil se bhi dur nikalate.
12. Mujhe tum se mohabbat hai magar most important kah nahin sakta, magar most important kya karun kahe bina rah nahi sakta – Bachpan (1963) – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri – Music: Sardar Malik (1957)
Sardar Malik is rated as a music director who was ‘gifted however couldn’t succeed’. Here’s a music that maybe could not discover place amongst Saradar distinctive songs like Saranga teri yaad mein (Saranga, – Mukesh – Lyrics: Bharat Vyas).
13. Teri tasveer bhi tujh jaisi haseen hai lekin, is pe qurbaan mei jaan-e-hazeen hai lekein, ye meri zakhmi umango ka madaawa to nahin – Kinare Kinare (1963) – Lyrics: Nyay Sharma – Jaidev (1957)
Many of the tasveer songs, on the whole, and rendered by Rafi, particularly, have been nicely accepted. Why would this music have turned out be an exception? Due to being filmed on Chetan Anand? Being too tough to sing? Or hidden behind different gems from the identical movie?
14. Zara solar haseena-e-nazneen mera dil tujhi pe nisar hai … tere dam pe hello mere dilruba meri zindgi mein bahaar hai – Kaun Apna Kaun Paraya (1963) – Lyrics: Shakeel Badayuni – Music: Ravi (1957)
After hesitant preliminary starting, Ravi appeared to have discovered the proverbial Midas contact in Chaudhavi Ka Chand (1960). Since then, one would discover only a few songs that will not have been in ‘above common’, or in a minimum of ‘common’, class of public acceptance.
The current music is certainly an excellent a composition of Ravi, very nicely versed by Shakeel Badayuni and rendered so majestically by Rafi. So, it was maybe abstract disapproval of the lead actor, Vijay Kumar, by the general public that appears to have eclipsed the ease-of-recall worth of the music.
15. Meri nigah ne kya kaam lajawaab kiya, unhin ko lakhon haseeno mein intkhab kiya – Mohabbat Is Ko Kehte Hain (1965) Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri – Music: Khayyam (1958, in his personal title)
Here’s a music that’s hidden behind my very own dilemma of creating a alternative between this music and Aur kuchh der thehar aur kuchh der na ja (Aakhari Khat, 1966 – Lyrics: Kaifi Azmi).
If this was not sufficient, every of those movies had multiple music to overshadow these two songs individually. Mohabbat Is Ko Kahate Hain had – Thahariye hosh mein aaun to chale jaaiyega (Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur), Jo hum pe guzarti hai tanha kise samajhayein (Suman Kalyanpur) and Itna husn pe huzur na guroor kijiye (Mukesh). Aakhari Khat (1966) had – Baharo mera jivan bhi sanvaaro, Mere chanda mere nanhe (each Lata solos) and Bhupinder’s Rut jawan jawan raat meharbaan.
16. Dil ke aaine mein tasveer teri rahti hai … most important ye samjha koi zannat ke pari rehti hai – Aao Payar Karien (1964) – Lyrics: Rajendra Krishna – Music: Usha Khanna (1959)
With 5 solo songs and one duet, Rafi was the dominant singer in Aao Pyar Karein. Of all these songs, the current music is definitely a really melodious composition, with very wealthy and but soothing orchestration, rendered so caressingly by Rafi.
Whereas working for this put up, I couldn’t recall the music simply from its brief mukhada. So, I selected to hearken to the music. I now hold questioning how this music would have thinned out a lot from my reminiscence.
17. Humne dekha hai tumhen aisa guman hota hai .. aankh milti hai to kyon dard jawan hota hai – Ji Chahta Hai (1971) – Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri – Music: Kalyandji Anandji (1959)
The overall impression is that, given a alternative, Mohammad Rafi wouldn’t be the primary alternative for Kalyanji Anandji. With out making an attempt any option to examine this speculation, it must be famous that this movie had two solos, two duets and one duet that had Mohammad Rafi solo twin, however the music which will carry the icing-on-the-cake credit score was a Mukesh solo (unhappy temper) music – Hum chhod chale hain mefil ko yaad aayein kabhi to mat rona.
The truth that the current music is on the border of pensiveness and poignancy transition zone of the romantic temper. Even the prelude solo saxophone and interlude shehnai items, too, appear to be ambivalent between these two moods As such, the music requires value repeated listening to essentially get to the temper that it manifests.
https://youtu.be/ks-6FrwWz2U?si=m84N6ebIbyrRnd0s
18. Tumhein dekha hai maine gulistan mein ke zannat dhoondh li hai maine jahan mein – Chandan Ka Palna (1967) – Lyrics: Anand Bakshi – Music: R D Burman (1961)
Opinions stay sharply divided about R D Burman’s songs for Mohammad Rafi. With out getting embroiled in that quicksand, it could not be misplaced to notice that RD had nearly a 3rd of his all-time Rafi solos until 1970. After I was exploring the songs for this put up, I seen that besides two or three of those songs I used to be conscious of all.
Nevertheless, right here is the music that I discover tough to recall even now. Be that as it might, it’s a good composition on standalone foundation and is kind of totally different from RD’s typical type template.
19. Abhi kamsin ho nadan ho .. kya karogi mera dil tod dogi mera dil, pahle sikho dil lagana – Aaya Toofan (1964) – Lyrics: Asad Bhopali – Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
Right here is a kind of beautiful songs that LP had composed of their first three B grade low-budget movies. Sadly for the current music, it appears to have been sandwiched between roaring success of songs from Parasmani (1963) and Dosti (1964).
As I look again at these songs listing, the very first thing that strikes me is that every one the songs belong to the ’60s. I’m wondering even when I’ve definitely run via all songs of Rafi from the start, why did I not select any music from the 50s? Have been the songs of the ‘50s too good to be certified as hidden gems? Or, had been a few of these songs, comparatively, not so standard sufficient? Or is it that my private bias has chosen extra songs of the ‘60s as in comparison with ‘50s throughout the logical filter I appeared to have utilized for choice of the songs for the current article?
I do probably not have any clue, a minimum of for now.
Would you might have any?
Credit and Disclaimers:
1. The music hyperlinks have been embedded from the YouTube just for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This weblog claims no copyright over these songs, which vests with the respective copyright holders.
2. The {photograph} is taken from the web, duly recognising the complete copyrights for a similar to the both unique creator or the positioning the place they had been initially displayed.
