TRIBUTES TO RAFI SAHAAB BY LYRICIST YOGESH.

TRIBUTES TO RAFI SAHAAB BY LYRICIST YOGESH: Geet.on kaa maseehaa chalaa gayaa.....




jin geeto.n ko jin ghazlo.n ko
THOSE SONGS THOSE GHAZALS THAT
tum hoTo.n se chhoo lete theh
WITH YOUR LIPS YOU TOUCHED,
apne swar ke tum paaras se
WITH THE ALCHEMY OF YOUR VOICE
un ko kanchan kar dete theh
YOU TURNED THEM INTO GOLD.


par tum tak jo naa pahonch paaye
BUT THOSE THAT DIDN'T REACH YOU,
woh geet kitne abhaage hai.n
HOW UNFORTUNATE THOSE SONGS ARE!
ab un geeto.n kaa kyaa hogaa
NOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE SONGS
jo isee aas me.n jaage hai.n
WHICH HAVE AWAKENED WITH ONLY THIS HOPE!


ek baar hame.n dekho paDh lo
READ US FOR ONCE,
ek baar hame.n gaa doh aa kar
COME BACK AND SING US,
kyaa bhool huwee jo chale gaye
WHAT WAS THE MISTAKE THAT YOU WENT AWAY
hamm ko yoo.n pyaasaa tarsa kar
LEAVING US THUS IN A TANTALIZING THIRST!

sargam kehtee hai tham jaao
MUSIC SAYS "STOP"
ab toh parwaaz nahee.n hogee
NO MORE FLIGHT NOW,
aawaaz bahot see aaye.ngee
MANY VOICES WILL COME,
par yeh aawaaz nahee.n hogee
BUT THIS VOICE WILL BE HEARD NO MORE!

tum jitne meeThe theh
THE AMOUNT OF SWEETNESS YOU HAD IN YOU
utnaa hee miThaa gaate theh
WITH THAT MUCH SWEETNESS YOU USED TO SING,
taarif koee jab kartaa thaah
WHENEVER SOMEONE PRAISED YOU
Allah kee dayaa bataate theh
'TIS ALLAH'S GRACE, YOU USED TO SAY!

jab tak dhartee par jeevan hai
AS LONG AS THERE'S LIFE ON EARTH
sooraj chaand sitaare hai.n
THE SUN, THE MOON AND THE STARS ARE THERE,
sangeet geet kee mehfil hai
THERE'S A MUSICAL GATHERING,
gaane waale banjaare hai.n
THERE ARE SINGING PEDDLARS

tumko kaise hamm bhoolenge
HOW CAN WE FORGET YOU?
har pal yaade.n ta.Dpaaye.ngee
EVERY MOMENT WILL TORMENT US,
aaho.n me.n dil yeh Doobegaa
THIS HEART WILL DROWN IN THE SIGHS,
aankhe.n aansoo.n chhalkaaye.ngee
TEARS, THE EYES WILL SHED!


abhee july 10 ke din
RECENTLY, THIS DAY OF JULY 10TH
tumne jo geet meraa gaayaa
YOU SANG MY LYRICS,
us waqt kahaa.n un shabdo.n kaa
THAT TIME, ABOUT THOSE WORDS
yeh arth samajh me.n thaah aayaa
THIS MEANINGS WASN'T APPARENT:
"hosh ke sahil pe mujhko
"ON THE SHORE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
ab naa aane deejiye
ALLOW ME NOT TO COME NOW,
aaj toh bas mastiyo.n me.n
TODAY, JUST IN DRUNKENNESS
Doob jaane deejiye"
LET ME DROWN!"


tumne jo gaaya sahee kiyaa
WHAT YOU SANG YOU DID ALRIGHT,
tum ko toh hosh nahee.n aayaa
YOU NEVER BECAME CONSCIOUS,
par hamm kaise seh paaye.nge
BUT HOW SHALL WE BEAR
jo dukh tum ko khokar paayaa
THE SORROW THAT WE GOT ON LOSING YOU!

Bhagwaan neeti yeh kaisee hai
GOD,  WHAT SORT OF PROPRIETY IS THIS!
aaKhir yeh kyaa majbooree hai
AFTER ALL WHAT'S THE COMPULSION
itnaa asahaaye banaana kyaa
TO CAST SO MUCH OF THE HELPLESSNESS
insaan ko yahaa.n zarooree hai
ON THE HUMANKIND HERE;  WAS IT NECESSARY?


teree marzee kaa patjha.d yeh
THE AUTUMN OF YOUR WILL
phir se ek gulshan jalaa gayaa
HAS DECAYED A ROSE-GARDEN AGAIN,
teree marzi se phir jag me.n
ON THE EARTH,  BY YOUR WILL AGAIN
insaan bechaaraa chhalaa gayaa
A HUMAN BEING HAS GONE AWAY!

geeto.n kaa maseehaa chalaa gayaa....
THE MESSIAH OF THE SONGS HAS GONE AWAY!

Note: For transliteration and translation of the the romantic song, Hosh ke Saahil Pe, please see Rafi’s Romantic Song No.514 in this Blog.  According to the above Tribute, this song was recorded on 10th of July 1980, i.e. 21 days before the Legend passed away. 
NASIR

PART 14: MOHAMMED RAFI & THE NINETEEN FORTIES.

A Humble Tribute to the Greatest Playback Singer of all times – by Nasir.

Rafi Sahaab used to work very hard on each and every song he was asked to sing. To surmarise, during the years 1944-1949, Rafi Sahaab worked with the following lyricists and music directors:

Some of the lyricists who worked with Rafi Sahaab in the Forties:

Majrooh Sultanpuri, Tanvir Naqvi, Pandit Mukhram Sharma, Mahipal, D.N. Madhok, Gopal Singh Nepali, Wali Sahaab, Rupbani, Pandit Indra, Pt.Fani,
Gaafil Harnalvi, Hanuman Prasad, Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, Moti, Qamar Jalalabadi, M. Ibrahim, Ram Murti, Shakeel Badayuni, Wahshi Jaunpuri, Amar Verma, Avtar Visharad, Asghar Sarhadi, Mohan Mishra, J.Naqshab, P.L. Santoshi, Manohar Khanna, Pilibheeti, Deobandi, Fiza Kausari, Surjit Sethi, Sevak, Rajinder Krishan, Ramesh Gupta, Shevan Rizvi, Habeeb Sarhadi, B.D. Mishra, B.R. Sharma, Mulk Raj Bhakri, Bahzad, I.C. Kapoor, Mohan Misra, Kaifi Irfani, Kedar Sharma, Sudarshan Faqir, Aziz Kashmiri, Bharat Vyas, M.G. Adeeb, Sarshar, Nazim Panipati, Alam Siyahposh, S.K. Deepak, S.H. Bihari, Arzoo Lucknowi, Swami Ramanand, Hazrat Lakh, M.K. Chibbar, P.L. Santoshi, Shameen, Shikarpuri, Hamid Khumar, Hasrat Jaipuri, Meeraji, Gulshan Bawra, and Khumar Barabankavi


Some of the Music Directors who worked with Mohammed Rafi in the ‘Forties:

Naushad, Shyam Sunder, Pandit Govindram, Chitragupt, A.R. Qureshi, Datta Devjekar,Premnath, S.D. Burman, Naresh Bhattacharya, B.S. Thakur, Mohammed Shafi, Azim Khan, Sudhir Phadke, Prakash Sharma, Firoze Nizami, Datta Thakar, Gyan Datta, Amirbai Karnataki, Hansraj Behl, Husnlal-Bhagatram, Shankar Rao Vyas, S. Purshottam, Shaukat Hussain, Dhumi Khan, S.N. Tripathi, Ghulam Mohammed, Shankar Rao Vyas, Ram Ganguli, Master Ghulam Haider, Datta Thakur, Vinod, Khemchand Prakash, Bulo C. Rani, Sharma ji, Basheer Khan, H.P. Das, Krishna Dayal, S. Mohinder, Shankar-Jaikishan, Sardar Mallik, Rashid Atre, Tufail Farooqi and Khan Mastana.

Music Director Roshan, who made his debut in 1949 with Neki Badi a Madhubala starrer, used Firoze Dastoor for the duets with female singers. But beginning 1950, Rafi Sahaab would be singing the largest number of his songs, both solos and duets, in maximum number of his movies.

As we noted before, by 1947 especially after Jugnu, Rafi Sahaab’s name became a household name and that his songs had become a run-away hit with the masses. Rafi Sahaab’s voice had laid the foundation in the forties to make the business of musical recording songs more exciting. He had proven his magic in the ‘Forties and the Nineteen-Fifties was beckoning him with open arms. Of course, in the next decade he was going to astonish his music directors and the lovers of music by his wonderful feat of powerful singing and versatility that had not been attempted before with such success. In the process he would ‘liberate’ the music directors from their beaten path of low octaves and limited range and scope within which they composed their songs.

The presence of senior male singers such as G.M. Durrani, Surendra, Khan Mastana, Shyam and others could not suppress the rising star. But then, they too were gentle souls. As Rafi Sahaab recounted: ”’Unki Khoobi yeh thi janaab ke’ instead of considering me as yet another competitor they encouraged me to give my best….” And this is what Rafi Sahaab himself did along the way. Later, not only he used to recommend to music directors those playback singers who were once a force to reckon with, but he also made it a point to encourage the new talents to give their best without considering them as his competition – which brings me to Mahendra Kapoor since his story unfolds in Nineteen Forties.



As we all know, Mahendra Kapoor was a huge fan of Mohammed Rafi whose voice and songs had enchanted him since his early age and he would sing in the style of his icon at Amritsar. He once purchased a record of Jugnu but to his dismay found that the record did not have the male singer’s name. After lots of enquiries he learnt that the name of the singer was Mohammed Rafi.

Even when the family shifted to Bombay, his craze increased all the more so that even at school he would scribble “Rafi, Rafi, Rafi” in his class note-book. Seeing the litany, we are told, that his class-teacher scolded him. One of his more knowledgeable class-mates then gave him the address of Mohammed Rafi who was still at Bhendi Bazaar – indicating that it was the earliest phase of the singer then. Mahendra then went there all alone to meet his icon with the sole wish “Bin Guru Gyan Kahaan Se Paaoon.” Seeing his love and devotion, Mohammed Rafi accepted him as his disciple, teaching him how to play the Harmonium and even taking him along with him to his shows and recordings. The teacher would then treat him to a glass of Lassi. Such details were known before but they were repeated by Mahendra Kapoor’s son, Rohan Kapoor while accepting the award on behalf of his father at the Tribute to a Legend show at the Indian Museum Auditorium, Kolkata, on 30th November 2008. Rohan Kapoor, the actor-singer son narrated the earliest phase of his father’s brush with the Legendary Mohammed Rafi. The audience was naturally spellbound and moved to tears. The student also took the advice of his teacher seriously and began learning the Hindustani classical music under Pandit Husnlal (of the musical duo Husnlal-Bhagatram) and Tulsiram Sharma.

Rest of the story of Mahendra Kapoor belongs to the late ‘Fifties, and I would have left it at that if it were not for certain comments of Raju Bharatan: “Kapoor may not have matched Rafi but he was so committed to his craft that he always kept Rafi on his toes.”  The craft lies in this statement. Note how a damaging idea is interwoven along with a seeming praise in a single sentence which does service neither to Mohammed Rafi nor to Mahendra Kapoor. At the outset I may state that there was never any question of matching Mahendra Kapoor with Mohammed Rafi, least of all keeping Mohammed Rafi on toes!   If the case of Mahendra Kapoor was like any other normal competition, then there would have been some semblance of sanity in Raju’s statement with all respects to him.  Besides, this was not the sibling rivalry of some noted playback singers. Nor was it the story of “Abhimaan” of a wife’s or husband’s one upmanship. For Mahendra Kapoor, Mohammed Rafi was a father figure. Nay, he was more: He was his Guru, his idol!  A father is always proud of his obedient and successful son. A guru is always proud of his chela even if he exceeds him in wealth and fame, which of course was not the case here any way. The pages of history is replete with such examples. The clinching evidence for rebuttal of Raju’s statement has its roots in the Nineteen Forties, which we have noted above. Therefore, Raju’s statement should have read: “Kapoor may not have matched Rafi but he was so committed to his craft that he made Rafi proud of him.” Nothing more needs to be said. More rebuttals would require an article by itself.

To state briefly, how much Mahendra Kapoor loved and respected Rafi Sahaab was exhibited by him unabashedly after doing a show at the Royal Albert Hall in Lodon. When Rafi Sahaab’s sons went to pay their respects to “uncle” Mahendra Kapoor backstage the latter astounded them by touching their feet in a humble obeisance instead. At that time Mahendra Kapoor made a very significant statement:
“I’m only paying respects to my Guru with whose blessings, grooming and guidance I’m here and a packed audience has come to hear me.”




We’ve to remember always: Mahendra Kapoor was not a competition for Rafi Sahaab who had taught him the rudiments of songs and music and after his lessons had recommended him to many film personalities, including B.R. Chopra. The best period of Mahendra Kapoor's creativity was during the lifetime of Rafi Sahaab. Mahendra Kapoor’s success must have surely delighted Rafi Sahaab, just as the miserable conditions of some of the yesteryear singers used to cause him pain so that he would quietly recommend them also to music directors of the day. Sometimes he helped them monetarily. Not only such singers but also the music directors who had fallen on bad times used to receive regular checks for a number of years without their knowing who was their benefactor. It was only decades later one day when the cheques stopped coming that they realised that Mohammed Rafi Sahaab had been their benefactor all along.

Mahendra Kapoor was the torch-bearer of the Mohammed Rafi School. This torch came to be later passed on to Anwar, Shabbir Kumar, Mohammed Aziz, Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam and others about whom the world will soon know. At the same time, the name and fame of Mohammed Rafi is growing by leaps and bound even after nearly 30 years of his demise.




Let’s hark back to the Forties! In his early career in the Forties, Rafi Sahaab never faced the kind of rejections, say, as Lata Mangeshkar did. The young Rafi was lapped up wherever he went. It’s true that in the Forties we have no Rafi songs for Anil Biswas according to whom Rafi was not quite fit for his compositions. He was no O.P. Nayyar who never used Lata Mangeshkar all his life. Anil Biswas did use Rafi only in the Fifities but that was not out of condescension. That was the time when Mohammed Rafi was rising and rising, and Anil Biswas was sliding and sliding, especially after 1958 whereafter he could do just about ten films – the last being Chhoti Chhoti Baaten (1965) – the time when Rafi Sahaab was at the zenith of his singing career.

But the gentleman that he was Rafi Sahaab did not mind singing for him. He sang for him in Beqasoor (1950): KHABAR KISEE KO NAHEEN VOH KIDHAR DEKHTE HAIN sung by Rafi, Durrani and Mukesh; in Paisa Hi Paise (1956): PYAAR KIYA JHAK MAARI which was a solo comedy song; a duet with Asha: UFF NAA KARNA KE MERI MOHABBAT BADNAAM HO; and ULFAT MEIN HAR EK which was sung by Rafi-Kishore and Asha (Kishore Kumar was the hero) and a duet with Kishore Kumar: LELO SONE KA LADDU; in Heer (1956): two solos: ALLAH TERI KHAIR KARE and LE JAA USKI DUWAAYEN; and a duet with Asha: O KHAAMOSH ZAMAANA HAI; in Abhimaan (1957): CHALI JAWAANI THOKAR KHAANE which is a didactic duet with Asha Bhonsle; and a solo in Sanskar: WAAH RE TIKDAMBAAZI.

With all respects for him, I’m constrained to quote one Anonymous in his review of “How the Golden Age of Bollywood should have sounded:”

“Bollywood productions during the career of Mohammed Rafi (1946-1980) unfortunately employed some of the worst recording techniques ever - thanks to a certain Anil Biswas, who although revered for his music abilities obviously knew very little about how to use a music recording studio. ... “

Even decades later, Anil Biswas targeted Mohammed Rafi, and then Kishore Kumar himself did not take it kindly and put a poser to him: “How could Rafi then remain on the top for two decades?” Anil Biswas, of course, had no answers.   After Rajesh Khanna attained super-stardom with Aradhna (1969),  he wanted only Kishore Kumar but was compelled to take Rafi Sahaab for the song NAFRAT KI DUNIYA in Haathi Mere Saathi (1971).  Kishore Kumar knew that this song was not his cup of tea and so Rafi Sahaab was called to sing it. And he did sing it in one take.  However, it is said that the producers had to shell out a huge sum for this song.  Of course, it did happen later too when Kishore Kumar himself felt that the song belonged to Rafi Sahaab but the Music Directors Laxmikant-Pyarelal could do nothing because of the insistence of Rajesh Khanna.  This song was from DUSHMAN (1973): SACHCHAI CHHUP NAHEEN SAKTI BANAVAT KE USOOLON SE...    It was not for nothing that Kishore Kumar had a huge portrait of Mohammed Rafi fixed on the wall of the drawing-room of his home at Juhu, Mumbai. He had frankly told one of his loyal fans that he himself was the fan of Rafi Sahaab. “If you insult him, you insult me!”

Similarly Anil Biswas praised Manna Dey no ends saying that he was the only singer who took down notations of every song and did the song in one take. He told him that he could sing whatever Rafi, or Kishore or Mukesh or Talat Mehmood could sing but that they couldn’t what he sang. Manna Dey had this to say:

“That’s very generous of him. He was very fond of me, but I don’t think there is anyone to touch Mohammed Rafi.”
But whatever his predilections might have been, Anil Biswas could not escape the touching impact of Rafi Sahaab’s good nature and humility, as he himself confessed, for the latter had no grudges despite being ignored by him. We can only say that it was not the loss of Rafi Sahaab who has by his songs immortalised even the lesser-known musicians whose names might have sunk into oblivion if it were not for the songs that he sang for them. But as Rafi Sahaab used to say: “Yeh sab Khuda ki dain hai.”

NASIR

To be concluded....

Mohammed Rafi's Energization of Dev Anand

Rafi photo contributed by S.Chickermane

















A SHORT ARTICLE BY NASIR ALI: 

It is now being generally accepted that Kishore Kumar’s was not the only voice of Dev Anand.

Ashok Kumar who was the super-star of the Thirties-Forties had produced a movie, "Ziddi" (1948). It was this movie that conferred stardom on the struggling
Dev Anand. Singing for the first time for Dev Anand was Ashok Kumar's brother, Kishore Kumar who had then recently joined the film industry as an actor in Ashok Kumar's "Shikari" (1946). This, naturally, brought Dev Anand very close to Ashok Kumar and Kishore Kumar. The song which was Kishore Kumar's debut song as well was 'Marne Ki Duaayen Kyun Maange.n...' under Khemchand Prakash. The song became a hit, and as Dev Anand says in his Auto-biography, "Romancing with Life," people began associating Kishore Kumar's singing voice with Dev Anand. Thus a myth was born. As Dev Anand revealed: "Kishore never sang for anybody except for me..."  There was that kind of rapport between the two. Thus this camaraderie and the above compartmentalization are also responsible for the said myth.


On closer examination, we find that as early as 1948 itself, Mukesh had given the playback song in "Vidya" (Bahe.n Na Kabhi Nayn Se Neer) and Rafi Sahaab in "Aage Badho" (Saawan Ki Ghataaon Dheere Dheere Aana – duet with Khurshid) respectively for Dev Anand. In the earlier phase even G.M. Durrani and in mid-later phase Dwijen Mukherjee was used for playback Dev Anand songs. Additionally, apart from Rafi and Kishore, the others who regularly sang for Dev Anand in the Fifties and the Sixties were Talat Mehmood, Hemant Kumar, C.Ramchandra and Manna Dey. Among the last movies that Rafi Sahaab sang for Dev Anand were Prem Pujari (1970) Gambler (1971) and Man Pasand (1980). Really speaking, Kishore Kumar comes back once again in the last phase of his own career and that of Dev Anand's, properly beginning from 1970 onwards which is not denied and so will not be discussed here especially since the myth of Kishore Kumar being the voice of Dev Anand belongs to the Fifties-Sixties and not the Seventies-Eighties.

A significant observation that needs to be related here, but that which has been generally ignored by critics while analyzing the Dev Anand-Kishore Kumar myth, is the well-known fact that in the mid-fifties and the Sixties the trio of Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor,  and Dev Anand ruled the roost. It was here that each of the trios came to be respectively associated with the singing voice of Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, and Kishore Kumar. However, on a scrutiny, we find that Rafi Sahaab was gradually overtaken by Mukesh in case of Raj Kapoor, and Mukesh was overtaken by Rafi Sahaab in case of Dilip Kumar. While Dev Anand was left with Kishore Kumar and other playback singers.

In order to expose the myth that Kishore Kumar's was the only voice of Dev Anand, we need to look at the songs rendered by Rafi Sahaab and Kishore Kumar for Dev Anand during the Fifties and the Sixties. In the Fifties and the Sixties Kishore Kumar playbacked for Dev Anand in the following prominent movies: Baazi (1951); Jaal (1952); Munimji (1955); Funtoosh (1956); Nau Do Gyarah (1957); Paying Guest (1957); Guide, Teen Deviyaan (1965); Jewel Thief (1967); and Johnny Mera Naam, Mahal (1969).

On the other hand, Rafi Sahaab sang for Dev Anand in; Milap (1955); C.I.D. (1956); Nau Do Gyarah (1957); Kala Pani, Amar Deep, Solva Saal, (1958); Love Marriage (1959); Kala Bazaar, Jaali Note, Bambai Ka Babu, Manzil, Ek Ke Baad Ek (1960); Hum Dono, Jab Pyaar Kisi Se Hota Hai, Maya, (1961); Baat Ek Raat Ki , Asli Naqli, (1962); Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, Kinaare -Kinaare, (1963); Sharabi (1964); Guide, Teen Deviyaan (1965); Jewel Thief (1967); Kahin Aur Chal (1968), Mahal (1969). Thus on a comparison,  we find the Rafi Sahaab's early tracks for Dev Anand more impressive.

Year and the Movies:

1960: Ek ke Baad Ek (all the three songs including duets), Sarhad ( a duet), Manzil (both the duets), Jaali Note (all the eight songs including duets), Kala Bazaar (all the five songs including a duet).

1961: Hum Dono (three songs including a duet); Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai: (five songs including two duets); Maya (four songs including a duet);

1962: Asli Naqli (Five songs including a duet); Baat Ek Raat Ki (Four songs, including two duets);

1963: Tere Ghar Ke Saamne (Five songs including two duets); Kinare-Kinare (Two songs, including a duet).

1964: Sharabi (All nine songs including two duets); Kahin Aur Chal (Three songs including a duet).

1965: Teen Deviyaan (Two Ghazals type songs); Guide (All the three solos).

1966: Pyar Mohabbat (Three songs including two duets).

1967: Jewel Thief (a single duet).

1968: Duniya (Three songs);

1969: Mahal (One song).

Some of these evergreen numbers of Rafi Sahaab singing for Evergreen Dev Anand are:

Kala Bazaar: KHOYA KHOYA CHAAND and APNI TAU HAR AAH;

Bambai ka Babu: the delightful duet: DEEWAANA MASTAANA HUA DIL; SAATHI NAA KOII MANZIL.

Tere Ghar ke Saamne : DIL KA BHANWAR KARAY PUKAAR and TU KAHAAN; SUN LE TUU DIL KI SADAA...

Manzil : DIL TOH HAI DEEWAANA;

Maya: KOI SONE KE DILWAALA and TASVEER TERI DIL MEIN;

Jab Pyaar Kisi se Hota Hai: TERI ZULFON SE; SAU SAAL PEHLE; UFF YUMMA; BIN DEKHE BIN PEHCHAANE; and the title track;

Hum Dono: MAIN ZINDAGI KA SAATH and KABHI KHUD PE; ABHII NA JAAO CHHOR KAR...

Asli Naqli: CHHE.DA MERE DIL NE TARAANA;  KAL KI DAULAT; EK BUT BANAAUUNGAA...

Sharabi: SAAWAN KE MAHINE MEIN and KABHIE NA KABHIE;

Teen Deviyan (1965): AISE TOH NA DEKHO; KAHIIN BEKHAYAAL  HOKAR...

Pyar Mohabbat: AAP NAARAZ KHUDA KHAYR KARE; MUJH KO MOHABBAT MIL GAYII; Three Duet Songs.

Jewel Thief: the mother of all the Rafi-Lata romantic duets: DIL PUKAARE AA RE AA RE AA RE;

Duniya : FALSAFA PYAAR KA TUM KYAA JAANO; JAWAAN TUM HO.

It may also be noted that the Rafi's songs in Kahin Aur Chal became very popular even before the movie was slated to be released at the Apsara Cinema.  Unfortunately, the movie was never released.  Likewise, Dev's Saajan ki Galiyaan also remained unreleased.  Rafi's song, HAMNE JIN KE KHWAAB SAAJAAYE is very musical and melodious.  Both the said movies had music by Shankar-Jaikishan.
  
It is as clear as crystal that at the height of his popularity, Rafi Sahaab became the voice of Dev Anand and rendered many pleasant, romantic and hummable numbers. Based on this, it is safer to hold that it was Rafi Sahaab who shattered the myth that Kishore Kumar's was the only voice for Dev Anand.

Let's come to some other aspects. On observing the songs that Rafi Sahaab sang for Dev Anand we are also led to believe that not only did they bring out the roundness of Dev Anand's on-screen characters but also energized them. When Dev Anand wanted to delve deep into his character, as in HUM DONO, he needed Rafi Sahaab. So we have the eternal philosophical number: Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibaahta Chala Gayaa; or Kabhi Khud Pe Kabhi Haalat Pe Rona Aayaa. Or take his role in Kaala Paani where the hero visits a nautch girl to trace the real killer so that he could get his innocent father released from the jail. Only Rafi Sahaab's playback song against the candle-light: Hum Bekhudi Mein Tum Ko Pukaare Chale Gaye... could invent the "Shaayaraana Mizaaj" of that character giving the role such intensity that won Dev Anand the Best Actor Award in 1958.

Again, in 1965 GUIDE, it's Rafi Sahaab's voice that brings out the love, the pain, the honesty, the memories, the desperateness of a lover about to lose his ladylove, and the reversal of fortune of the character of the guide that Dev Anand portrays. These songs DIN DHAL JAAYE and KYA SE KYA HO GAYA have made S.D. Burman's musical score immortal besides bringing out the finer suppressed emotions of the character of a Guide into the open enabling it to win another Filmfare Award Best Actor Award for Dev Anand. Such is the power of song rendition of Rafi Sahaab that the characters on screen come alive! No doubt, film star Rekha could not resist crooning the Din Dhal Jaaye number more than forty years later in her KUDIYON KA ZAMAANA (2006). Even as far as the screen romance is concerned, Rafi Sahaab's voice it is that makes the lip-synching on-screen character so real. Dev Anand too fits the bill easily. Who can forget Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Rangg Hain from GUIDE? This song is easily the best romantic song of 1965 and it's a pity that no Filmfare Award was instituted that year. Rafi Sahaab could have easily won yet another Film Fare Award for the year 1965 for his song Din Dhal Jaaye...or for Tere Mere Sapne...

Watch and hear the KHOYA KHOYA CHAAND See the long strides Dev Anand takes and the hands he swings while lip-synching that energetic song. That's Rafi Sahaab inspiring energy and youthful zest in Dev Anand on the screen.

Hear FALSAFA PYAAR KA TUM KYA JAANO and you'll realise that Rafi Sahaab's style gets into the skin of the stylish Dev Anand. Mark especially his rendition of '..KYAA JAANO..." in a particular Dev style of diction. The character and the singer become one in the truest sense of the term.

The scene in TERE GHAR KE SAMNE where the hero goes out looking for his love on a wintry night singing TU KAHAAN YEH BATAA IS NASHEELI RAAT MEIN.. is subtly rendered by Rafi Sahaab capturing all the ingredients of a dizzy night of love. In the same film, DIL KA BHA.NVAR KARE PUKAAR.. too lands us in the romantic land where life is one great bliss. Then his duet with Lata Mangeshkar: "AYSE ROOTHA NA KARO..." where he takes off at a tangent:

"Teri Khushboo Ne Mere, Hosh bhi Chheen Liye
Hai Khushi Aaj Hame.n Tere Pehloo Mein Gire
Dil ki Dha.dkan Pe Zara, Phool Sa Haath Rakho.."

Who can forget that voice that evokes so palpably the mood of a lover stricken by the fragrance exuded by his beloved so much so that the heartbeats almost stop and he falls down by her side praying that she may soothe his heartbeats by placing her delicate hand on his breast!  Ah! It's such a stylish rendition by the Legendary Rafi Sahaab that could, in fact,  invoke one to write pages and pages in appreciation. That naturally adds to the romantic demeanour of Dev Sahaab too.

In fact, each and every song that Rafi Sahaab sang for Dev Anand went on to heighten the positive aura of the evergreen hero. No doubt then, that Dev Anand should place Rafi Sahaab near his heart for his heart he was. The inescapable conclusion is that it was the voice of Rafi Sahaab that helped bring out the energy, the suave and urbane finesse of Dev Sahaab's on-screen character. Rafi Sahaab's songs for Dev Anand also highlighted the tender-hearted "SHEESHE KA HAI MATWAALE TERA DIL..." image of the evergreen hero.

The triumph of Rafi Sahaab especially in the playback singing for Dev Anand is that the actor could not ignore the Legendary Singer whatever his predilections earlier. Fortunately, according to a news item, in a televised interview on the occasion of his 83rd birthday, Dev Anand did recommend that Rafi Sahaab should be given the Bharat Ratna. He graciously admitted that the best songs picturized on him were in fact rendered by Rafi Sahaab. The last song that the immortal singer sang for Dev Anand was for the 1980 flick, Manpasand, the wordings of which were: "...BAS MEETHA-MEETHA BOLO". Dev Anand looked sweet too, singing that song.

NASIR.

MOHAMMED RAFI - THE LAST DECADE ..10...

THE GREAT INDIAN LEGENDARY SINGER, MOHAMMED RAFI.
The Last Decade - Rising of the Phoenix.

Continued..10...

Yes, Rafi Sahaab was all set to revive the glory of his early Sixties as was evident from his signing spree with the music directors in 1980.  Just some seven months before, Mohammed Rafi Sahaab had celebrated his 55th birthday.  The Polydor (India) that later went on to become Music India Ltd., wished him Many Happy Returns of the Day and also expressed their appreciation of Rafi Sahaab "in making this life worth living." (See inset)

The cruel hands of fate, however, snatched Rafi Sahaab from our midst and he breathed his last on 31st July 1980.  As luck would have it, just that morning he had his discussion with Composer Basu and Manohari and Director Mukul Dutt regarding a composition of a Bhajan meant for Durga Pooja album despite his critically bad health. The party had come to Rafi's mansion all the way from Kolkata for him.  He was the last person to disappoint any one for his personal reasons and he finished the job despite suffering severe pain in the chest.  When he came back home the pain had accelerated.   He couldn't even have water since he was fasting during the Islamic month of Ramzan.  He sat down on the sofa.  He was sweating profusely in agony.   His nails had turned blue.  Alarmed at the situation, Mrs Rafi called the family doctor who then advised the family to shift him to a hospital.  He refused the Ambulance service and opted to go by his own car.  Before leaving, Rafi Sahaab beckoned his family to his side.  He kissed them on forehead.  His last words were:  "Mere Liye KHuda se Dua Karna"  (Pray to God for me).  Even in that condition he walked down the stairs to his car.  Before leaving for the hospital, he looked up one last time from his car and waved at them.  Rafi Sahaab did not survive the major heart-attack.  He died in the state of  compulsory Ramzan fasting, which was his last action. 

Allah had chosen to call back Rafi Sahaab on the most auspicious day:  27th Day of the month of Ramzan, the month when especially during the last ten odd nights the gates of Heaven are open and dying in this month increases the chances of entering Paradise as a martyr for Islam. How auspicious was the combination: Month of Ramzan, 27th Night of Shab-e-Qadar, and Last Friday of this month for burial!  This definitely proves Rafi Sahaab was  a saintly person.   

The news of his death was very shocking to all those who knew him personally and to those millions who knew him through his melodious voice and songs.  Reports of suicides of his fans on hearing about his death  filtered through slowly, showing how popular he was even outside India.  Many schools in Mumbai declared a holiday on that day.  Everything seemed to come to a standstill.  It was the month of July and it was raining very heavily that day.  Open umbrellas and umbrellas could be seen every where. Yes, it was raining cats and dogs. It was as if the heavens were weeping. Despite the torrential rains, the funeral procession of Rafi Sahaab was such that has never been seen before for any film personality or even a political leader in Mumbai at least to my knowledge.  In addition to the relatives and friends, as well as the neighbourhood of Bandra, the entire film industry was present including Amitabh Bachchan, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Manoj Kumar, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar, Amjad Khan, Jeetendra, Vinod Mehra, Randhir Kapoor,  Naushad, Shankar, R.D. Burman, Chitragupt, Rajesh Roshan, Kalyanji, Anandji, Laxmikant, Pyarelal, Sapan Jagmohan, Sonik-Omi,  Bappi Lahiri, Yash Chopra, Manmohan Desai, Nasir Hussain, Sultan Ahmed, Ramanand Saagar, Shakti Samant, J. Omprakash, O.P. Ralhan, Ravi Chopra, Prasan Kapoor, Premji, Qamar Jalalabadi, Kaifi Azmi, Gulzar, Hasrat Jaipuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Naqsh Lyalpuri, Anand Bakshi, Shyam Sagar, Anjan, Salim, Raza Murad, Sachin, as well as Rakhi, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Usha Mangeshkar, Mahendra Kapoor, Kishore Kumar, Sulakshna Pandi, Bhupendra, Hemlata, Manhar, Jaspal Singh, and others.   Only Shammi Kapoor was conspicuous by his absence since he was away and had no knowledge that he had "lost his voice."  At the home of Rafi Sahaab, his beloved wife and now the widow wept uncontrollably.  There were Naseem Bano, Saira Bano, Shammi, Mrs.Nasir Husain and others who tried to console her. 

Zahir, the brother-in-law and Secretary of Rafi Sahaab too was irrepresiblly weeping and wailing:  "Sahaab why didn't you take me along?" And looking at  Ravindra Jain, who was there, he asked: "Dada, whom would you now call 'Tansen'?"  Shahid Rafi lapsed into unconsciousness several times in grief. 

Even death had not robbed Rafi Sahaab of his smile which everyone was used to seeing in life. The body was kept in the verandah for everyone to see.  Each took turn in having a last glimpse of the face of the immortal singing legend and finest of  human beings.  Sulakshna Pandit kept on sobbing throughout.  Kishore Da too wept a lot, holding the feet of Rafi Sahaab.   The other members of Rafi Sahaab including his other sons and daughter and son-in-law who were in London had already been informed and they were expected to come by Saturday.
All the roads in the Bandra vicinity from 28th Road to Waterfield and the New Talkies were blocked by the people following the  bier of  their beloved  Rafi Sahaab.  Everyone wanted to carry the bier.  Namaaz-e-Janaazaa was performed at the Bandra Masjid after the Juma' prayers,  and thereafter the funeral procession started from the Masjid at 2 p.m.  Rafi Sahaab's body was finally laid to rest at the Santacruz (west) Muslim Qabrastan at about 4.45 p.m.

Now anything written after this would be an anti-climax since we would not be touching upon Rafi Sahaab’s various actions of altruism and his monetary and psychological help to other singers, music directors, and all those who came to him for help; or his giving free service in the name of friendship or just because he liked the particular composition or the song was a one-liner. Neither the views of the celebrities about Rafi Sahaab will be cited since there is a plethora of such writings available. What we need to download into our memory is the fact about the sterling qualities of Rafi Sahaab as a singer of originality of style and whose voice possessed amazing range, phrasing, pitch, timbre, timing, vibrato, versatility, clarity of diction, emotional impact and such sweetness as never had been heard since. We also need to be aware that certain elements have always been interested for one reason or another in distorting his achievements or attempting to gain upmanship – though unsuccessfully.

Let us now consider some other external circumstances in which Rafi Sahaab found himself in the Seventies. It is common knowledge that during the last years Rafi Sahaab was once again involved in a controversy vis-à-vis Lata Mangeshkar over the entry of her name in the Guineness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist for 25,000 songs in various languages. Rafi Sahaab who had been recording songs since 1944-1945 stated that he sang at least two songs a day and sometimes even five and therefore Lata’s figure should be reassessed. Even as late as November 1979, Rafi Sahaab’s request for reassessment was never heeded. It was sometimes three years after Rafi Sahaab’s death that the Guinness Book of Word Records stated Lata Mangeshkar's name for the "Most Recordings" but also stated: "Mohammad Rafi claimed to have recorded 28,000 songs in 11 Indian languages between 1944 and April 1980. As for Lata Mangeshkar, she stated: "I don't know anything about it." "I don't know how my name appeared in the Guinness Book, or where they got their information from. Certainly I didn't supply it. I don't keep a record of the number of songs I have sung." Imagine this! So for Rafi Sahaab the Guiness authorities used the word “Claimed” and for Lata Mangeshkar they gave a clean chit of "most recorded." In short, Rafi Sahaab was never given an opportunity to prove his own claim. Later on, sometimes in 1999 the names of both Rafi Sahaab and Lata Mangeshkar were deleted from the Book.  Since it was rumoured that those letters were drafted at Naushad's home, Lata Mangeshkar did not take kindly to it.  This is evident even after thirty years, for I have observed that in the many interviews that she gave to the media, including TV channels, she has never included Naushad's name even once among  Five Music Directors of her choice.  The fact remains that Naushad's compositions have a very high standard and he has given Lata Mangeshkar many of his best compositions to sing.   


Recently, in order to short-change his achievements some are claiming that Rafi Sahaab never sang the alleged number of songs at all. Rafi Sahaab's own assessment was based simply on the work he put in, that is, how many recordings did he do per day for all those decades. Many fans of Rafi state that he has sung over 28,000 songs. Whatever the case may be, it would be well to remember that Emily Bronte wrote just one novel "The Wurthering Heights" and this just one has assured her name to the hall of fame of great novelists. As for Rafi Sahaab, we have thousands of his songs to prove his immortality.

Then it is said that "perhaps overexposure in the sixties where one could just hear his voice everywhere- from heroes to character actors to comedians was the reason for this decline." Not a valid statement, this! This is not the field of acting where, for example, the screen legend, Dilip Kumar, took great pains not to over-expose himself for retention of number one slot in the late Forties, Fifties, Sixties, and till the mid-Seventies. It was not the case of having George Clooney for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Over-exposure of voice could never happen because those were different times. How many could afford a TV, or a tape-recorder, or even gramophones? One had to depend on the radio programmes which had fixed timings to hear the songs of one’s choice. Have we forgotten that even in the late Seventies Doordarshan used to telecast Chhayageet (literally: Songs with Images) programme which was an assortment of screened movie songs only every Thursday? The entire neighbourhood used to then gather in the home that had just one TV. Where is the question of over-exposure? Even though Rafi Sahaab playbacked for all sort of characters it is of paramount importance to make a note that his voice never sounded monotonous. There could never be "over-exposure." On the contrary we couldn't have enough of him. Vidya Rao, the great thumri and light classical singer, once described Mohammed Rafi’s voice as one with an internalized smile. How can one be antagonistic to a smile? Lata Mangeshkar admits that Rafi Sahaab's voice was his greatest blessing. Hafiz-e-Shirazi, the 14th century poet and philosopher, if he had seen him, would have nodded with approval:

Yes, Fresh and Invigorating song: 'Taaza ba Taaza Nau ba Nau' which was the hallmark of Rafi Sahaab's voice. Rafi Sahaab's was the sweetest, magical, "And I don't know What" Voice and remains to be so even till this day. The so-called theory about "over-exposure" therefore holds no water.
"O SWEET SOUNDING MINSTREL, GO ON SINGING FRESH AND INVIGORATING SONGS –"

Then much is sometimes made of "yodeling" by saying that Rafi Sahaab could never yodel. Fasten your seat-belts: It was Rafi Sahaab who introduced yodelling to the Indian screen. Now a dictionary describes the word "Yodel" as "To sing with frequent changes from the ordinary voice to falsetto and back again, in the manner of Swiss and Tyrolean mountaineers." There you are! It is not part of the Hindustani Music. (Of course, someone knowing the classicals can always give a name to even Yodeling as some kind of a 'Swar'.) This is the reason why Rafi Sahaab did not pursue this insignificant antic. However, just for the satisfaction of his fans he did yodel in at least a few songs and that too with a variety, such as voice-breaks. To name a few, the picnic song: UNSE RIPPI TIPPI HO GAYI HO HO YAANI BAAT PAKKI HO GAYI from Agra Road (1957), a Rafi-Shamshad duet, ISS KEE TOPEE USKE SAR from Miss Bombay (1957), DO QADAM AUR AY SAATHEE from Khubsurat Dhoka (1959), HELLO SWEET SEVENTEEN - a duet with Asha Bhonsle - from Dr. Z (1959), THODI THODI GORI in Superman (1960), O CHALE HO KAHAAN KAHO from the movie Reporter Raju (1962), APNI APNI PASAND HAI in Raja (1963), YEH TO KAHO KAUN HO TUM in Akeli Mat Jaiyyo (1963), DIL KE AAINE MEIN TASVEER TERI REHTI HAI from Aao Pyar Karen (1964), KENA SABAN DAIEN - a Punjabi song with Dilraj Kaur among others. Most importantly, his yodeling was original too and not copied from the style of the Swiss or the Austrian yodelers.  

During the last decade, circumstances may have caused interruption in Rafi Sahaab's career. We noted before how Hameed (brother-in-law, referred to as "brother") tried to persuade Rafi Sahaab to settle down in Toronto for good when the latter flew there for his live programme in 1979.   It cannot be contradicted that such persuasions were not tried before especially from his near and dear ones in his own interest of course.  Once he came out of the dilemma whether to sing or not to sing Rafi Sahaab never lost sight of his goal.  He was a go-getter and an extraordinary singer and person though in early Seventies he had been made a victim of  some terrible psychological circumstances and machinations of his detractors.  But he remembered his song:

JO THOKAR NAA KHAAYE NAHIN JEET USS KI,

JO GIR KE SAMBHAL JAAYE HAI JEET USS KI,

NISHAAN MANZILON KE YEH PAIRO KE CHHAALE.....



and it is precisely because of this that persona of Rafi Sahaab emerges all the greater, in fact much greater than that of his contemporary singers.


We can go on and on writing about Rafi Sahaab and the hosts of qualities both in terms of his being an unparalleled singer and a great human being. This is humanly not possible to do justice to either.

Rafi Sahaab was known as "a complete family man" who enjoyed the bliss of his home and hearth.  He would invariably come back home after his recording sessions to spend time with his wife and children.  At times he would fly his black kites during the day from the terrace of his villa, joined by his children.   At times he did throw a party at home for his Bollywood colleagues on the occasions of winning an award.  He would relish Mughlai dishes, including Biryani. He also loved sweets.  He loved to drink tea but only at home or that which he carried from home.  Sometimes he would find time to take his wife and children outside the city to such places as Mahableshwar or Matheran or to Lonavla where he had his own bungalow, and there he would jump into the swimming pool to the delight of  all, clad in dhoti-kurta.  Sometimes they had singing sessions at home.   

Even during world tours, he would take his wife along with him since then she could see her children who had been sent away to London for education.  Their daughter Nasreen was only  12 then, and their sons Khalid, Hamid and Saeed were 16, 12 and 8 years old respectively.  Yasmin and Shahid at that time were little, and they remained home at Mumbai.  The children were never exposed to filmy atmosphere.   Their eldest daughter, Parveen, had also settled abroad.  They were never encouraged to take up singing as career or to do anything with the film industry.  Though Shahid did do Socha Na Tha after Rafi Sahaab had passed away.    Yasmin  states: (see the inset to the right)
Nasreen, Yasmin, Shahid have settled down in Mumbai. 


Before winding up, I would like to point out that when a debate erupted in the form of letters to the editor of the Filmfare Magazine as to who was greater, Rafi Sahaab or Kishore Da, the latter put an end to the controvery by clearly stating that "Rafi Sahib has been the greatest male singer of our times."


Surprisingly and not surprisingly, the altruistic attitudes have passed on to Rafi Sahaab's fans all over the world, which can be termed as the greatest of the compliments to his memory. "Surprisingly" because they have nothing to gain; "Not surprisingly" because when we are in good company the "goodness" is bound to pass on to all those who come to associate themselves with great souls. When a person goes on distributing Henna leaves to others for their benefit, his own hand attains the colour of Henna in the process. So we have his fans joining hands and making Rafi Sahaab's Death Anniversary a special day; or some personally holding shows or Rafi Nites and then donating the proceeds to the poor and needy of their localities or even donating to various charitable funds or constructing unique bus shelters for the public. Or some fans such as the one in Ahmedabad constructing a temple in the name of Rafi Sahaab to exhibit his boundless love for him. Or constructing a memorial in Birmingham to his name. Or those laying the Rafi Foundation in various Indian cities, including Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, or those coming up with the Biographies of the Legendary Rafi Sahaab; or those who are ready to defend their icon whenever some one tries to bring down the relevance and importance of Rafi Sahaab. Heartiest felicitations and many many greetings to all these selfless noble souls of all generations over the globe, who have acquired the altruism from their icon Rafi Sahaab and who have been continually keeping the flame of Rafi Sahaab's memory burning even after 26 years of his passing away. May their tribe ever increase and may their zeal and enthusiasm in this direction never cease. May all of them meet with success in whatever fields of life they are.  Blessings to the progeny of Rafi Sahaab too.  Amen


CONCLUDED

NASIR.