Mohammed Rafi: Tributes to Legendary Singer on his 40th Death Anniversary

Punjab is a land of great gurus, sages, seers and peers. When we talk about art and culture, an angel of music Mohammed Rafi was born in a small village Kotla Sultan Singh of Amritsar. The singer of the millennium, Rafi with rich tonal voice, versatility and crystal clear intonations rendered thousands of unique heart-warming songs varied from fast peppy numbers to classical songs, lamenting melodies to highly romantic songs, qawwalis to ghazals and bhajans to patriotic songs. He had poignantly brought in emotions in his renderings with his exquisite melodious and mellifluous voice for over seven decades. Goddess Saraswati’s abode was in his sublime divine voice. In Baiju Bawra, he demonstrated his virtuosity and range and in ‘Pyasa’, the evocative power he could bring to the lyrics. Though he did make a partial transition to a more youthful and playful style as in Junglee, he was too closely wedded to the classical tradition to wander too far from it. Celebrities have fans but Mohammed Rafi had worshippers, even some have installed “Rafi Temples” in their houses.

Mohammed Rafi was born to Hajji Ali Mohammed and Allah Rakhi on 24 December, 1924. A fakir used to chant ‘Maaye Ni Khedan De Din Char’ while seeking alms in his locality. The little child, Pheeku mesmerised by the melodious tune, used to trail the fakir from a distance. He grew up in an orthodox household where music and singing was frowned upon but his elder brother Hamid encouraged his latent talent. At the age of nine, he moved to Lahore and started working in the family enterprise. Once Jiwan Lal Mattoo of AIR, Lahore went to the saloon and found Pheeku (Rafi) singing Waris Shah’s Heer in quintessential Amritsari style. Impressed by his voice, Jiwan Lal took him under his wings and trained him in classical music and Raagas in Punjabi folk music. Rafi learnt the intricacies of music from well-known vocalists and instrumentalists like Abdul Waheed Khan and Chotte Ghulam Ali Khan. Later, this casual Radio artist rose to unprecedented heights in Indian Film Industry, to be known as Mohammed Rafi.

Rafi’s singing talent was first recognised on a grander scale in 1937, when he unexpectedly performed at the All-India Music Exhibition, Lahore. The audience included renowned singer Kundan Lal Saigal, who predicted that Rafi would one day become a great singer. This new singing sensation was introduced to filmdom by music director Shyam Sunder. In 1942, he recorded a duet “Pardesi…Sohneya Oye Heeriye Oye” in the voices of Zeenat Begum and Mohammad Rafi for the Punjabi movie ‘Gul baloch’ (1945). In this film, Rafi sang another duet ‘Aa Chann Ve’ with Munawar Sultana under the baton of Lachhi Ram and a chorus ‘Sun Sun Nikki Jehi Gall’ under the music direction of Pt. Amar Nath. His songs became very popular and the rest as they say is history.

Rafi moved to Bombay on invitation of actor-producer Nazeer, who paid him one hundred Rupees and a rail ticket from Lahore to Bombay. The story of Rafi’s first recording as narrated by Naushad “To give a marching effect to the patriotic song ‘Hindustan Ke Hum Hain’ (Pehle Aap-1944), he asked the singers to wear Military shoes and make a rhythmic sound by hitting the booted legs in unison. After the recording, Rafi’s feet were bleeding but his face was glowing with the joy of singing his first song in a Hindi movie.” However, some claim that his first Hindi film song was ‘Jab Dil Ho Kaabu Mein’ (Gaon Ki Gori-1945).

Rafi sang a chorus with his ideal K.L. Saigal in Shahjahan (1946). However, his duet with Noor Jehan ‘Yahan Badla Wafa Ka’ (Jugnu-1947), catapulted him as a serious contender to fill the vacant slot of the leading male vocalist. Rafi also gave cameo performances in Laila Majnu (1945), Shahjehan (1946), Jugnu (1947), Samaj Ko Badal Dalo (1947) and Shaheed (1948). Rafi’s initial singing style was heavily influenced by G.M. Durrani in songs like Ek Dil Ke Tukde (Pyar Ki Jeet-1948). However, his career really took off with the all-time hit ‘Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki’ (Dulari-1949). After the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the team of Husanlal-Bhagatram, Rajendra Krishan and Mohammed Rafi overnight created the moving eulogy 'Suno Suno Ae Duniya Walo'.

The year 1949 was the undisputed hinge over which the floodgates of Mohammad Rafi’s melodies opened. In 1951, Naushad switched over to Rafi as main playback singer for Dilip Kumar in ‘Deedar’ and Mehboob Khan told Dilip Kumar, "This is your voice”. Naushad continued with Rafi-Dilip combo in Aan, Amar, Udan Khatola, Kohinoor, Ganga-Jamuna, Leader, Aadmi, Dil Diya Dard Liya and Sanghursh. The relations of Mohammad Rafi and Naushad were on a different plane. Rafi revered Naushad as his Guru, mentor and guide while Naushad considered Rafi, God’s gift to film music. Rafi established fairly wide base of association with music directors ranging from the legendary Shyam Sunder to Bappi Lahiri. He sang maximum 369 songs for Laxmikant Pyarelal followed by Shankar Jaikishan (341 songs) and Chitragupta (247 songs).

His voice had unique feature of screen adaptability and Rafi could mould his voice to the persona and style of the actor. Rafi was a vocal match for any hero big or small, while Rafi-Dilip and Rafi-Dev combos undeniably scaled the greater heights. Rafi could always capture ‘Yahoo’ Shammi’s style, his grace, his energy, imagining how he would jump or roll or lift his hand. He sang maximum 183 songs for Shammi Kapoor. Rafi even gave playback for actor-singer Kishore Kumar in movies like Ragini (1958), Shararat (1959) and Bhagam Bhag (1958). He sang with major singers like Asha Bhonsle (806 songs), Lata (344 songs), Shamshad Begum (160 songs), Suman Kalyanpur (141 songs) and Geeta Dutt, Mubarak Begum, Sudha Malhotra, Usha Mangeshkar etc.

Rafi brought radical change to the Hindi film music by introducing the concept of singing to one and a half “Saptaks” (scales) rather than the usual one Saptak. He possessed such a wide singing range that he could easily sing in three octaves without veering out of control. From the classical ‘Madhuban Mein Radhika Nachi Re’ to the swinging ‘Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera’, from the soulful ‘Hum Bekhudi Mein’ to the comic ‘Sar Jo Tera Chakraye’, from the philosophical ‘Dekhi Zamane Ki Yaari’ to the frivolous ‘Aiaiya Karoon Main Kya Sukoo Sukoo’, he could sing anything.

Mohammed Rafi, an altruist, was known for charging no fees or just a minuscule amount for singing songs in the films of producers and music directors who could not afford his regular charges. When composer Nisar Bazmi didn't have enough money to pay him for the song ‘Chanda Ka Dil Toot Gaya’ (Khoj-1953), Rafi charged token fee of one rupee only. Rafi charged only Rupees fifty from Pandit Shivram for the chartbuster ‘Daulat Ke Jhoote Nashe Mein’ of a shoestring-budget starrer ‘Oonchi Haveli’ (1955). In the case of Rafi, the tune came first and the money after. But for the instinctually generous way in which Rafi adjusted his charges for the small composers like Iqbal Quraishi, Sonik-Omi and Prem Dhavan, we would have not got nuggets like ‘Subah Na Aaye’ (Cha Cha Cha), ‘Dono Ne Kiya Tha Pyar’ (Mahua) and ‘Teri Duniya Se Hoke Majboor Chala’ (Pavitra Papi).

Rafi was the king of romantic songs and his evergreen numbers like ‘Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho’, ‘Bahaaron Phool Barsaao’, ‘Zindagi Bhar Nahi Bhulegi’, ‘Mere Mehboob Tujhe Meri Mohabbat’, ‘Husnwale Tera Jawab Nahi’ and ‘Yeh Mera Prem Patra’ etc. still entice the lovers. His voice suited any genre of music be it a moving ghazal ‘Aap Ke Pehlu Mein’, a plaintive bhajan ‘O Duniya Ke Rakhawale’, or a wild and whacky composition ‘Chahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe’. A classically trained singer whose finesse glorified complex compositions like ‘Man Tadpat Hari Darshan Ko’ (Baiju Bawra) had absolutely no problem turning into a Yahoo-screaming maniac to complement Shammi Kapoor’s on-screen energy. Rafi has rendered songs in some of the films like Junglee, Rajkumar, Prince, Sawan Bhadon etc. with such high energy levels that the listeners are left gasping for breath literally.

Rafi was extremely nostalgic about his Punjabi roots. He recorded many Punjabi folk, film songs and Gurbani Shabads. He made significant contribution to Punjabi cinema by rendering 262 songs in 105 Punjabi movies. After his debut in Punjabi movie 'Gul Baloch', Rafi rendered five songs in ‘Lachhi’ (1949) and his solo 'Jag Wala Mela Yaaro' became immensely popular on both sides of the border. Thereafter, Mohammed Rafi became the most sought after playback singer in the Punjabi Cinema. Rafi continue to enthral the audience for another three decades with his renderings in Punjabi films like Madari, Bhangra, Do Lachhian, Billo, Guddi, Khedan De Din Char, Laajo, Pind Di Kuri, Dharti Veeran Di, Kankan De Ohle, Morni, Guru Manio Granth, Ladlee, Mahi Munda and Sassi Punnu etc. His repertoire of Punjabi melodies included Aji O Munda Moh Leya (Chhai); Darh Vatt Zamana Katt (Jugni); Daana-Paani Khich Ke Liaunda (Guddi); Jatt Kudiyaan Ton Darda (Bhangra); Teri Kanak Di Raakhi (Do Lachhian); Ji Karda Ae Is Duniya Nu (Geet Baharaan De); Mitter Pyare Nu (Nanak Nam Jahaj Hai); Russke Tu Challi Gayiyon (Papi Tarey Anek); Sanu Bukk Naal Paani (Ladlee); Eh Mor Kiyon Pailaan (Mahi Munda); Mera Wichhdeya Yaar (Sohni Mahiwal) and many more.

Apart from Punjabi film music, Rafi cut many records of non film Punjabi folk songs, Shabads, Naats etc. A 78 rpm record of two Shabads ‘Har Ko Naam Sada Sukhdai..’ and ‘Jis Sar Upar Tu Swami’ released in 1950s became an all time hit and these shabads were regularly played from the community loudspeakers of the Gurudwaras. Rafi had also recorded many Punjabi folk songs like ‘Saadi Russ Gayi Jhanjran Wali Sade Bhaane Rabb Russ Giya..’ and opera ‘Heer Ranjha’ became immensely popular. Having excelled in playback, Rafi composed music for eight non film songs including four songs written by a Punjabi poet Mohinder Singh Bedi. Rafi’s conversation at home and in private circles was always in the Punjabi accent. Rafi remained remorseful at failing to perform live in Lahore as the Indo–China War shattered that dream.

Even as Rafi ruled the sixties, but the Rajesh Khanna wave and western disco-style electronic music taking over the screen, his dominance waned. But Rafi bounced back with the musical ‘Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin’ (1977). Mohammed Rafi rendered his last song ‘Tu Kahin Aas Paas Hai Dost” (Aas Paas-1980) under the baton of Laxmikant-Pyarelal. He performed in live concerts at over 30 venues across the globe, reaching out to millions of fans in United States, U.K., Canada, Africa, West Indies etc. He sang approximately 6,000 songs in almost all the Indian languages and in many foreign languages like English, Persian, Arabic, Sinhalese, Creole and Dutch etc.

At thirteen, Rafi got married to his cousin Bashiran Biwi and they were blessed with a son Saeed and a daughter Zakia. However, after a few years, the two got separated. In 1944, he married Bilquis Bano, from whom he had three daughters and three sons. The only funny habit he had was to fly kites and he’d sulk like a baby if his kites were cut.

He won numerous Awards and accolades, starting with the Silver Medal given by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the first anniversary of Indian Independence. In 1965, he was decorated with the Padma Shri. In 1977, he won both the Filmfare Award and the coveted National Award for the song 'Kya Hua Tera Wada'. He won Filmfare Award for the Best Male Playback Singer six times: 'Chaudvin Ka Chand Ho' (Chaudvin Ka Chand-1961); 'Teri Pyari Pyari Surat Ko' (Sasural- 1961); 'Chahunga Main Tujhe' (Dosti-1964), 'Baharon Phool Barsao (Suraj-1966) and 'Dil Ke Jharokhe Mein' (Brahmachari-1968).  

On the fateful morning, Rafi did rehearsal for the ‘Kaali Pooja’ album (Bengali) and around noon, he suffered a major heart attack. The world of Music lost one of its brightest luminaries Mohammed Rafi on 31 July, 1980. Rafi still shines like a Polaris on Indian film music horizon.