Visitor article by Hans Jakhar extending the centenary celebrations of Rafi (b. 24 Dec 1924 – d. 31 July 1980)
(Hans Jakhar, an SOY common, is an avid Rafi fan and a Grasp of Information. Due to this fact, after I determined to rejoice 2024 as Rafi’s centenary 12 months, my ideas first went to him whether or not he want to write a few articles on him. When he was extra lively on SOY he had written some visitor articles, a few of which have been predominantly on Rafi. However of late he has been busy. This text got here to me late after I had tightly packed the final months of 2024. My concluding article in Rafi’s centenary celebrations was on his evolution over time along with his duets. To spotlight his versatility I had taken one duet a 12 months with the situation that no music director was to be repeated. Even with this restriction I might get 25 gems over 25 years, composed by 25 distinct music administrators.
Hans focusses on solos with none filters of a music in a 12 months and a definite music director. Due to this fact, chances are you’ll get hole years and a couple of music by a music director. Nevertheless, with all the info Hans takes you on an attention-grabbing journey, and also you uncover many gems from Rafi’s early profession. Some extra articles on Rafi got here late and I used to be glad to increase the centenary celebrations to 2025. That is in continuation of the celebrations.
Hans is a retired authorities official. He spends his post-retired life along with his household in Haryana. Thanks loads Hans for this good article. – AK)
AK requested me in April final 12 months whether or not I want to write for Mohammad Rafi’s Centenary in 2024. Usually he wouldn’t have requested however I’ve been extraordinarily irregular previously one 12 months. I had, all the time in thoughts, this subject about development of Rafi’s profession, his struggles and his evolving as a high singer. For the reason that begin of 2024 I believed it was the suitable time for presenting my ideas. So I instructed and he agreed. It will be in two elements, the primary half overlaying the time upto 1955 and the second from then to 1970. The time restrict is stored as much as 1970, it being the span of SOY’s main curiosity. Even when that has not been the case it could have been unimaginable to cowl his complete profession in two elements. It’s onerous to cowl it in two elements, however we should adhere to some restrict.
Loads has been mentioned in regards to the singing capability of Rafi. He was doubtless the perfect singer amongst golden period singers. The interval beneath evaluation is upto 1970 and in that interval Mohammad Rafi alone sang extra songs than the entire of six golden period predominant male singers Mukesh, Manna Dey, Talat Mehmood, Hemant Kumar, Kishore Kumar and Mahendra Kapoor. It will be a mistake to assume that these singers weren’t succesful. They have been nice singers in their very own proper and rose to the heights on the power of their expertise. So what was making this utter dominance of Rafi. Versatility, singing as per the actor and scenario, bringing the suitable feelings and modulating his voice could also be listed among the many attributes. However, in response to me a very powerful of all of them was his capability to take the compositions to a different degree. There have been various nice composers who have been vying with one another and even with themselves for reaching nice heights and so they recognized Rafi as a expertise to take them to a different degree. With Rafi they may compose with out fascinated by any restrict and he would in flip improve the composition which no different singer was capable of do. Usha Timothy who had sung just a few duets with Rafi, and was with him in lots of live shows, mentioned in an interview that different singers sang in ‘Sur’ however Rafi sang in ‘Shrutis’. I don’t know something about Surs or Shrutis, however that may be a lovely method to precise singing of Rafi. (There are seven ‘Surs’ or pure Notes. There are 22 Shrutis or micronotes – about 3 or 4 clearly audible completely different frequencies between two adjoining Notes. Some students point out reference to 24 Shrutis in historical texts. – AK)
PART ONE: 1944-55
Everyone knows that Naushad was the one who launched Rafi within the 1944 movie Pahle Aap with two duets with occasional singer Shyam Kumar and he additionally had a small contribution in a 3rd duet with Shyam in the identical movie. We all know Naushad was an enormous affect on Rafi’s profession. However he was additionally a credit score grabber. It’s mentioned he as soon as mentioned that he used Rafi much less within the early a part of his profession as a result of there was a tinge of Punjabi in his voice which he corrected. I don’t know whether or not he mentioned this or not, however for fairly a while I believed in what Naushad mentioned. However, after listening to Rafi’s early songs on YouTube my views modified. I’ve chosen songs for the primary section of 1944-50 to point out how Rafi labored with even the least recognized composers to create gems and his singing was nice even within the earliest interval.
However first some information.
First Section: 1944-50
Yr No of movies No of songs No of MDs
1944 1 2 (0+2) 1
1945 7 12 (6+6) 6
1946 19 40 (18+22) 15
1947 15 27 (12+15) 15
1948 22 49 (25+24) 19
1949 49 124 (51+73) 28
1950 37 90 (22+68) 20
Whole 150 344 (134+210) 62
In these seven years Rafi sang 344 songs which is way over every other playback singer. Durrani, Mukesh and Khan Mastana have for this decade songs since 1941 and have 180, 161 and 106 songs respectively. Chitalkar and Manna Dey ended up with 89 and 57. Talat Mahmood and SD Batish had 28 every and Kishore had 18 songs. Of the 62 MDs 23 ended their affiliation with Rafi on this interval itself and 16 of them had only a single music for him. Songs from 6 of those 23 MDs determine within the listing for this era.
Husnlal-Bhagatram topped the listing with 46 throughout the interval from 1941 to 50. Hansraj Behl with 36 was one other huge contributor. Numbers of each of them fell down significantly within the following years. C Ramchandra with 29 and Naushad with 22 have been different main contributors. Shyam Sunder and Gobind Ram with 14 every and Ghulam Muhammad and Chitragupta with 10 every added to his tally. Grasp composers Khemchand Prakash and Ghulam Haider gave him one music every in 3 and a couple of movies respectively. 4 main contributors to Rafi tally within the later years have been Shankar-Jaikishan, Madan Mohan, Roshan and Chitragupta. They debuted within the final two years of this era.
1949 was a particular 12 months for Rafi during which he sang 124 songs in 49 of the 157 movies. He was there in each main movie the place a male music was included, besides Lahore and Shabnam. Ten different male playback singers had a mixed whole of 138 songs on this 12 months. The foremost MDs’ contribution got here from HB 20, Naushad 12, Hansraj Behl and C Ramchandra 10 every and Shyam Sunder 9 (8 of them in a single movie).
Now the songs.
1. Ae dil-e-nakaam ab jeene ki tamanna chhod de – Hamara Sansar – 1945 – Gobind Ram – Ramesh Gupta.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imGpQi1r3RE
Gobind Ram was fairly an completed composer within the classic period. He produced an excellent music during which Rafi confirmed his expertise. This was his first music for Rafi. One other well-known music he composed was a background music ‘Wah re zamane kya rang dikhaye‘ on Dilip Kumar within the movie Ghar Ki Izzat. He gave Rafi 21 songs in 12 movies. Jeevan is proven on the head of the forged. Was he the hero of the movie?
2. Foremost jab gaaun geet suhana – Amar Raj – 1946 – Firoz Nizami – Pt. Fani.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU95UkXAG0E
This was a Wadia Movietone movie with Naseem and Trilok Kapoor within the lead. Firoz Nizami was the composer who composed the well-known duet ‘Yahan badla wafa ka‘ in Jugnu. In Foremost jab gaaun geet suhana Mohammad Rafi exhibits what an completed singer he was even at the moment. There was additionally a duet model of this music with Mohantara Talpade.
3. Karte hain ab wo humse muhabbat ka bahana – Ghunghat – 1946 – Shankar Rao Vyas – Ramesh Gupta.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2ARYbB0bv4
As everyone knows Rafi was the perfect when it got here to gradual recitals. He exhibits this particular high quality of his within the couplet earlier than the principle music. SR Vyas gave 14 songs to Rafi in whole.
4. Honthon ki hansi kya hai kya ashq bahana hai – Hawai Khatola – 1946 – Basheer Dehlavi – Qaiser Sabai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNqfYSC5sIY
Basheer Dehlavi had solely this music with Rafi and see how expertly he has rendered it.
5. Rahein to kaise rahein dil pe ikhtiar mujhe – Room No 9 – 1946 – Rasheed Atre – J Nakhshab
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7NDYmWRN5s
You don’t discover any traits of a brand new singer singing this music. A masterly efficiency. Rashid Atre was additionally a composer who has just one music with Rafi.
6. Dus na jayein tujhko zulfein kaaliyan – Malika – 1947 – Alla Rakha Qureshi – Tanveer Naqvi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G17LtTPY_o
This lovely music consists in Punjabi tappa fashion, which is Rafi’s dwelling floor. Good lyrics becoming the tappa fashion. AR Qureshi had 26 songs in 14 movies for Rafi upto 1970.
7. Ae dil meri aahon mein itna to asar aaye – Actress – 1948 – Shyam Sunder – J Nakhshab.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O68dK6g0c4
Shyam Sunder and Rafi produced two gems within the movie. The opposite one was ‘Hum apne dil ka fasana unhein suna na sake‘. Shyam Sunder was the composer who gave Rafi first probability in a Punjabi movie Gul Baloch. He gave Rafi 22 songs in 8 movies of which Actress, Bazaar and Dholak are well-known. His early demise disadvantaged us of excellent music.
8. Nigahein milane ko jee chahata hai – Parai Aag – 1948 – Ghulam Mohammad – Tanveer Naqvi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnlit5040T4
Ghulam Mohammad is well-known and extremely revered. He opened his account in 1948 and gave him 55 songs in 22 movies, together with two songs in his final movie Shama (1961). Now we all know that the mukhada of the well-known qawwali Nigaahein milaane ko ji chaahta hai from Dil Hello To Hai (1963) goes again to 1948, written by Tanveer Naqvi.
9. Kismat se koyi kya bole – Rahnuma – 1948 – Dhumi Khan – lyricist not recognized.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6pjazpgydY
Dhumi Khan gave Rafi 4 songs on this solely movie the place he used him. To my information this was the one movie during which he gave music independently. He gave music in two different movies collectively with different composers in 1949 and 1956.
10. Ae dil tujhi ko neend na aayi tamam raat – Shahnaz – 1948 – Amirbai Karnataki – Akhtar Pilibhiti.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a-wslmY_d8
This was the one movie during which Amirbai Karnataki gave music to 12 songs during which she simply used Rafi and herself, Rafi getting 6 songs of which 2 have been solo.
11. Thukra ke humein chal diye begana samajhkar – Baalam – 1949 – Husnlal-Bhagatram – Qamar Jalalabadi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L62OXrkRkbg
HB have been the highest composers for Rafi on this interval and continued to present him songs until the final. They have been composers in a lot of Suraiya movies and each of them have been driving a wave. This combo had their first music ‘Ek dil ke tukde hazaar huye’ in 1948 which was the one music in that 12 months. Within the subsequent two years they gave Rafi 45 songs in 13 movies. The final movie for this combo was the 1963 movie Shaheed Bhagat Singh during which Rafi sang 4 of the 5 songs. Rafi had 88 songs with them.
12. Lo rukh badal raha hai phir zindagi ka dhara – Banoo – 1949 – Ram Prasad – lyricist not recognized.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTvKQ6Fz3ss
Ram Prasad was the daddy of Pyarelal of the LP fame. Particulars of solely 4 of the ten songs of this movie are recognized and Rafi is in 3 of them. Ram Prasad later gave yet one more music to him within the 1964 movie Magic Carpet. This music is sung within the Punjabi Heer fashion which is tough to grasp and Rafi has sung it completely.
13. Is wade ka matlab kya samjhoon – Duniya -1949 – C Ramchandra – lyricist not recognized.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv3mIuH_Wlc
CR gave early help to Rafi and had given 29 songs on this interval. He gave in all 77 songs to him which was 2nd for male singers after himself. Regardless of the variations the combo flourished until CR stopped utilizing Rafi after the1960 movie Sarhad. Later he recalled Rafi within the 1970 movie Rootha Na Karo during which he used him for 3 songs.
14. Ek dil ne kaha ek dil ne suna – Parda – 1949 – Khayyam – Ramanand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dE9PdDTUafc
This was the primary movie for Khayyam as Sharmaji which he did independently. The connection of those two was particular, although Khayyam doesn’t have many songs with Rafi. That they had various non-film songs collectively. ‘Akele mein wo ghabrate to honge‘ is known for this duo, however this music is equally good. Rafi had 4 songs on this movie out of which two have been based mostly on Heer fashion.
15. Jin raton mein neend ud jati hai – Raat Ki Rani – 1949 – Hansraj Behl – Aarzoo Lucknavi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzIyeLRYaeQ
Hansraj Behl was one of many predominant contributors to the Rafi tally throughout this era. Later within the 50s as Punjabi movies gained extra reputation after partition he moved to Punjabi movies the place he was the undisputed no.1 for fairly a while. This music exhibits Rafi’s mastery over gradual recital songs. Behl gave 76 songs in 33 movies upto 1970.
As could be seen the above listing doesn’t comprise his most well-known songs from this era that are above 20 in quantity. As well as there have been various different songs which just about pretty much as good as these chosen. That is an indicator of the early expertise of Rafi.
Second Section: 1951-55
Yr No of movies No of songs No of MDs
1951 35 69 (25+44) 20
1952 32 77 (29+48) 21
1953 33 77 (26+51) 22
1954 32 89 (36+53) 27
1955 66 161 (65+96) 35
Whole 198 473 (181+292) 62
As shall be seen 1955 was a particular 12 months when Rafi’s songs had an enormous bounce. This improve was not sudden; it was the affect of the efficiency within the first 4 years. The 2 most necessary MDs on this interval have been Naushadvert and Chitragupta. Chitragupta had 50 songs with Rafi with two extremely profitable movies Tulsidas and Shiv Bhakta. Naushad determined to minimise the variety of movies. He gave music in 12 movies within the decade 1951-60, out of which 8 got here on this interval. Although he had simply 29 songs for Rafi on this interval, but that they had such an affect that Rafi reached new heights. The opposite composers who gave greater than 20 songs have been Ghulam Mohammad – 34, CR – 28, HB – 25, Vinod – 22 and Madan Mohan – 20.
Mukesh was the key singer with 161 songs within the earlier interval. However on this interval he had simply 55 songs. As he was attempting to be a hero, he made the error of stopping singing. The primary singer apart from Rafi throughout this era was Talat Mehmood. He had 246 songs with 152 solos. Once we see that he sang about 430 movie songs this quantity means he sang greater than half of his songs on this interval. We all know Talat Mahmood was additionally attempting to be a hero however he continued singing and reaped a wealthy harvest.
Now I proceed with the songs. They’ll comprise a mix of some particular songs exhibiting singing attributes of Rafi and in addition some with lesser recognized MDs.
16. Aseer-e-panja-e….Hue hum jinke liye barbaad – Deedar – 1951 – Naushad – Shakeel Badayuni.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD6bC-w5_FI
This music begins with a couplet in gradual recital which is the primary ‘sher’ of a ghazal written by Muztar Khairabadi who was the daddy of Jan Nisar Akhtar. Remainder of the music is written by Shakeel Badayuni. Right here is the couplet:
‘Aseer-e-panja-e-ahad-e-shabaab kar ke mujhe,
Kahan gaya mera bachpan kharaab kar ke mujhe‘
The which means of the primary line is ‘after making me captive (aseer) within the grip (panja) of dedication (ahad) to the wonder (shabaab)’ adopted by the second line which suggests ‘the place has my childhood gone after ruining me’. This couplet is the essence of the story of Deedar. Rafi takes about 40 seconds for finishing this couplet, weaving one phrase with the opposite in a string in his inimitable fashion.
17. Poochhiye na haal ji, palle nahin maal ji – Mukhda – 1951 – Vinod – Azeez Kashmiri.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyYhymR500c
Vinod was kind of a specialist in composing comedian songs. He began with Rafi by giving him 5 duets in Ek Thi Ladki and ended up giving him 36 songs in 12 movies, ending with two duets in Ek Ladki Saat Ladke. What a coincidence in similarity of the title within the two movies.
18. Dum todte hain armaan – Shagan – 1951 – Husanlal-Bhagatram – Mulkraj Bhakhri.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCkR4v5btiY
HB continued to present memorable songs within the 50s upto Shama Parwana after which success eluded them. Different notable movies for them on this interval have been Afsana, Sanam, Rajput, Stage and Aansoo.
19. Takra gaya tumse dil hello to hai – Aan – 1952 – Naushad – Shakeel Badayuni.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AObKlsYMad4
This music additionally has an alaap at the beginning which is barely shorter than the Deedar music, however Rafi takes about the identical time weaving magic once more. This movie had 5 solos, one duet and two alaaps for Rafi. This was a as soon as in life time movie for Nadira.
20. Hari om….Man tadpat hari darshan ko aaj – Baiju Bawra – 1952 – Naushad – Shakeel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c9yzRB5pPc
Though ‘O duniya ke rakhwale’ is extra well-known, I take into account this music higher. At the beginning Rafi chants ‘Hari om’ 4 instances in 30 seconds, every time announcing ‘Hari’ and ‘Om’ in another way. This sort of rendition is can solely be achieved by the singer and this kind of modulation is the place he beat all different singers. Then he begins weaving the mukhda in a rosary and this time the weaving is completely different than the Deedar music as a result of now the phrases are in chaste Hindi. This music is an excellent marvel in all three aspects.
21. Ye duniya paglon ka bazaar – Chacha Choudhary – 1953 – Madan Mohan – Rajendra Krishna.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HARooqWk_fw
That is an absolute gem which tells us why Rafi is so particular. On this music of greater than 3 and a half minute, Rafi sings solely the mukhda in numerous kinds. There is just one antara for about 35 seconds. I feel there may be hardly any have to say something about this combo. This sort of songs are basically singers’ as no quantity of composition can cowl every twist and switch. MM began with Rafi in his first movie and had given 132 songs in 40 movies upto 1970, which provides a really excessive common of three.3 songs per movie, contemplating the predominance of feminine songs.
22. Jal jal ke shama ki tarah fariyad na karna – Fariyad – 1953 – BN Bali – Muzaffar Orkazai
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37rbCOTofMQ
BN Bali was a small time composer who made his debut in 1949. He has 15 songs from 6 movies out of which he gave 5 songs to Rafi in 1955 movie Mastani, one in all which was a comic book music ‘Ameeron ke bhagwan gareebon ko sataya na karo, pudine ki chatni se rotiyan khilaya na karo‘.
23. Sulag rahi hai husn ki sigdi….de pachhad dham dham. – Madmast – 1953 – V Balsara – Madhuraj.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGk2XnbnfWo
V Balsara featured within the collection of Sculptors on SOY. As per particulars there he composed 12 Hindi movies and lots of Bengali movies. This one is an excellent comedian music during which Balsara used some particular manoeuvres which have been executed effectively by Rafi.
24. Tera kaam hai jalna parwane – Paapi – 1953 – S Mohinder – Rajendra Krishna.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O91xBh_O5g8
S Mohinder began his profession in 1949 and had 58 songs in 22 movies with Rafi till 1970. So he was an everyday with Rafi. This music was an excellent hit. A few of the antics utilized by Raj Kapoor within the music have been copied by a few of his household in later years.
25. Kismat fati hui thi taanke laga rhea hain/Allah tere bande daulat kama rahe hain….Fati hui kismat ki chaadar siye ja siye ja – Alibaba Aur 40 Chor – 1954 – SN Tripathi & Chitragupta – Raja Mehdi Ali Khan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcB0cwMqtpk
Clearly the music was created for the scenario when Alibaba will get the physique elements of his brother sewed up. The music was filmed on the tailor who would seem in only one or two scenes. Might this be thought doable in later movies? The music scenario didn’t deter Rafi from rendering a gem of a music and for this he duly studied the voice and visualised the actions of the minor actor and modulated his voice accordingly.
26. Aaj achanak rooth ke mujhse chale gaye bhagwan … Bolo he zameen bolo aasman – Chakradhari – 1954 – Avinash Vyas – Pradeep.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvmiaQGPwkA
This music is an affidavit that Avinas Vyas was a really succesful composer. The alaap is the lifetime of this music written drastically by Pradeep and completely tuned and extra-ordinarily rendered. Rafi executed these alaaps so in another way from one another that one wonders whether or not there was some invisible laptop in his head which remembered every thing. After the alaap the music all of a sudden modifications tempo. Vyas labored with Rafi in solely 1951-60 and had 26 songs in 13 movies.
27. Ab wo karam karein ke sitam – Marine Drive – 1955 – N Dutta – Sahir Ludhianvi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73IKQBG1pRU
N Datta debuted in 1955 and straightaway gave good songs to Rafi in Milaap and Marine Drive. He was a Rafi loyalist and an important supporter of Asha. He had a complete of 91 songs with Rafi upto 1970. Ajit on whom the music is filmed is in low spirits and Rafi comes up with a delicate tone music to suit the scenario. This music is among the iconic songs of Rafi.
28. Meri duniya lut rahi thi aur predominant khamosh tha – Mr Mrs 55 – 1955 – OP Nayyar – Majrooh Sultanpuri.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJBCp5tjhOk
OPN was a powerhouse for Rafi. Although he had much less variety of solos than duets with him. This music is a surrogate music depicting the scenario of Guru Dutt and lip-synced by a minor actor. Rafi’s grip on qawwalis is manifested in essentially the most applicable lyrics written by Majrooh for the scenario. This music was eclipsed by the recognition of different songs within the movie.
29. Ye duniya gham ka mela…Humein bhi de do sahara – Seema – 1955 – Shankar Jaikishan – Hasrat Jaipuri.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31jASRr4qUk
This music filmed on Mumtaz Ali has an important alaap adopted by as nice a music. You possibly can hear that Rafi once more sings the alaap in another way from his different alaaps. This movie is thought for ‘Kahan ja raha hai tu ae jane wale’ and ‘Tu pyar ka saagar hai’.
30. Maya ki uljhanon ko….Humko to tera naam lene se hai vasta – Shiv Bhakta – 1955 – Chitragupta – GS Nepali.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLGKO6lH6hQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDFvYRA-fXU
Chitragupta had a particular relationship with Rafi. He had extra songs with Rafi than even Lata Mangeshkar who was his favorite after she entered his recording room from this movie after the massive success of Tulsidas. Shiv Bhakta was basically a Rafi movie during which he had 4 solos and a couple of duets as a result of Shahu Modak was taking part in the Shiv Bhakta. I’ve given two hyperlinks for the music. The primary one is for the video and the second is hyperlink from the file. Except you watch the video music you can not fathom the affect of the music as a result of it comprises an extended alaap which has been curtailed within the audio model.
A lot of gems have been unnoticed. No duet has been given right here, as a result of the main target was on exhibiting the singing capability of Rafi which is on show extra in solos. However there isn’t a bar on SOY-ers in posting duets which embody a number of singer songs.
Acknowledgements and Disclaimer
The music hyperlinks have been given/embedded just for the listening pleasure of music lovers. This weblog or the writer has no industrial curiosity, and declare no copyright over the songs which vests with the unique copyright homeowners.
