Words get beholed in the inner depths of heart... Yet I cant but describe the giant of melody, king of sur, and the passionte dweller of taal, an owner of a soul, a sound and a heart as,
A LEGEND, A GIFT, staright from Heaven.
When a twelve year old boy went searching for his inspiration in the Bhendi Bazar area of Mumbai, he was only doing what came naturally to millions of Indians who love Hindi film music. Admiring and worshipping Mohd. Rafi. That boy grew up to be Mahendra Kapoor, who still believes that he owes his life and love for music to Mohd. Rafi. Rafi tagged along the young Mahendra Kapoor to recording sessions encouraging and guiding the young aspirant.
The genial genius of Hindi playback - a kind, generous, considerate and thoughful human being was Rafi Sahab. A shinning example who has lit the way, blazed the trail for numerous admiring aspirants, from Mahendra Kapoor, to Anwar, Shabbir Kumar, Mohd. Aziz right down to Sonu Nigam.
Mohammed Rafi came from a family where humility was equated with worshipping the divine. A disciplinarian father disapproved of Rafi's abiding passion in music but nothing could tie Rafi Sahab down. When he moved to Lahore at the age of 14, from Kotta Sultan Singh village where he was born in 1924, on December 4, Rafi learnt music from classical stalwarts like Ghulam Ali Khan.
The first song that Rafi Sahab sang was in Punjabi for the film 'Gul Baloch', a duet with Zeenat Begum 'Soniye ni heeriye ni'. Composer Feroze Nizami spotted the young singer's potential and found him a job at Radio Lahore. Shyam Sunder who composed Rafi's first song in Gul Baloch, gave the 25 year old aspirant as many as seven songs in the film Bazaar.
And then came the composer, largely repsonsible for showcasing and presenting Rafi's awesome repertoire - Naushad Sahab. Rafi's first song for the composer was 'Hindustan ke hum hain hindustan hamara' for the film Pehle Aap in 1944. Prophetic lyrics, for soon enough Mohd. Rafi became the voice of Hindustan, expressing the hopes and dreams, wishes and anxities of a young nation in songs created by Naushad. In 1946, songs in Almol Ghadi laid the bedrock for a long and enriching relationship between Rafi and Naushad. Rafi's gentle nature, non-smoking teetotaller habits, his devotion to his religion and family, were perhaps in more than one way responsible for his huge success.
S.D. Burman was another composer who exploited the awesome versatality of The Virtuoso. Rafi Sahab's sweet soft vocals could create mood magic. S.D. Burman has him expressing disillusionment, with a fast changing, crass world in 'Dekhi Zamane ki yaari' and then roaming free in the green valleys and open skies of freedom in 'Khoya Khoya chand'.
Teetotaller Rafi, under SachinDa's baton is the smitten intoxicated lover in 'Hum Bekhudi mein tum ko pukare chale gaye', which he renders with absolute conviction and is the restrained, gentleman lover in 'Dil ka bhavar kare pukar'.
Some of the top songs of the 6os were sung by Rafi under the baton of Shankar-Jaikishen. Some of Rafi's best romantic numbers were under the music direction of the duo. Songs like 'Teri Pyari Pyari Soorat Ko' from Sasural, 'Yeh Mera Prem Patra' from Sangam, 'Ehsaan Tere Hoga Mujh Par' from Junglee, 'Teri Zulfon Se Judai' from Jab Pyar Kissise Hotaa hi, 'Aye Gulbadan' from Professor, 'O Mere Shan-khuban', 'Main Kahin kavi Na Banjaoon' from Pyar Hi Pyar and 'Likhe Jo Khat Tujhe' from Kanyadan were chartbusters of their times.
Even R.D.Burman, largely responsible for promoting Kishore Kumar, used Rafi in his hugely successful Teesri Manzil where Shammi Kapoor wooed an entire nation with his antics. Rafi Sahab's highly romantic duet with Asha Bhosle under the baton of R.D. that went on to become a chart buster was 'Churaliya hai tumne jo dil ko' from Yadon ki Baarat'.
One thing that cannot be denied is Rafi's huge contribution to the success of a host of heroes, included among them, Thespian Dilip Kumar, Jubilee Star Rajendra Kumar, Evergreen Dev Anand, macho Sunil Dutt, Junglee Shammi Kapoor, and Tragic Bharat Bhushan.
Rafi had the amazing ability to completely efface himself and blend his voice into the character that was potrayed on screen. When the Thespian flirted gently in Leader with 'Teri husn ki kya tarif karoon' and in Naya Daur with 'Uden jab jab zulfen teri', mischief sparkles in every note.
Dev Anand's films were always known for their wonderful music. And the debonair Dev's voice in earlier films was The Virtuoso. Whether it is the gently romantic 'Abhi na jao chodkar' from Hum Dono composed by Jaidev or the brooding 'Din dhal jaye' from Guide or that precursor to Sapnon ki Rani, the breezy 'Jiya o jiya o jiya kuch bol do' from Jab Pyar kissise hota hai'.
Such was Rafi's supremacy over the playback kingdom that in his heyday he sang for two songs filmed on actor-singer Kishore Kumar. Such was the Virtuoso's supreme desire to sing that he even sang for little known actors in mega-hits like 'Suhani raat dhal chuki' from Dulari, 'Meri dosti mera pyar' and 'Chahoonga main tujhe' from the musical Dosti. The non-controversial, low profile singer overrode professional ego at all times. Such was the devotion to his art and his phenomenal talent.
With family Modest and generous to a fault, he neither flaunted nor promoted his family, a faithful husband, a doting father to four sons and three daughters, a devout Muslim, he remained to the last. A liberal father, Rafi never forced music on his children. Only the youngest, Shahid Rafi has been inclined to singing. Rafi Sahab even considered becoming an actor, and did actually face the camera in Laila Majnu in 1945, alongside lead pair Swarnalata and Nazir to sing the chorus in 'Tera jalwa jisne dekha'. Two years later Rafi was seen again briefly in Jugnu. But Rafi followed the dictates of his heart that wasn't set on acting.
To Rafi, creating financial hardships for his producers was a far graver issue that the rightful claim on his art. Both were right in their own way. After four years, the two finally called a truce, at the instance of Nargis, at a stage concert, to sing 'Dil Pukare'. Lataji confessed with honesty that she had forfeited the privelege of singing with Rafi, only for a just cause. But then she continued 'making up with such an honest and guiless person like Rafi Sahab did'nt take too long'.
Who else but Rafi, can transcend age, culture and religious barriers, override genre and sing practically every kind of music known to man? Be it classical tunes or music that followed no rules of music, be it very romantic songs or sad melancholic tunes, be it ghazals or quawallis or bhajans, fast rock-n-roll stuff or slow, sober songs. Rafi has sung a song for every mood with equal ease and perfection.
That he strode the film music scene as a colossus for two and a half decades, leaving behind a legacy of 26,000 songs, is what every music lover is greatful for.
Laxmikant Pyarelal will always remember Rafi with affection and sadness. After recording his last song for Aas Paas composed by them, Rafi Sahab said 'Main chaloon?'. The surprised L-P didn't reply because Rafi had never said this before. Again before leaving he said 'To main chalta hoon'. He passed away that evening on July 31, 1980 at 7:30 p.m. after a massive heart attack.
''Tere aane ki aas hai dost. Shaam phir kyoon udaas hai dost...? Mehaki Mehaki Fizayein yeh Kehati hai, Tu kahi aas paas hai dost...Tu kahi aas paas hai dost ''
