The most versatile. Review on Twenty Best Songs of Mohd. Rafi

Mohammad Rafi [1924-1980], gifted with a natural, macho and clear voice was probably the best among his contemporaries. He has sung 7000 odd Hindi film songs and about 26000 songs in all national languages. Rafi could effortlessly sing in any mode or type of song such as classical, bhajan, romantic, gazal, light music, pop, qawali, rock’n’roll, parody, sad, fast numbers.

In the late fifties, sixties and seventies he was the ghost voice for Dilip Kumar, Bharat Bhoosan, Dev Anand(Kishore and Hemant kumar too for Dev mostly by S D Burman), Gurudutt, Shammi kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Dharmendra, Shashi kapoor. He could mould his voice and add a little mannerism in such a way that while watching the film, it appeared that the hero is singing and not Rafi in the background. For example, when Mukesh used to sing for Rajendra kumar or Dharmendra, every one could notice that someone else was singing for the hero.

Rafi first sang for a Punjabi film Gul Baloch in Punjabi under music director Shyam Sunder in 1944. In the same year, he got his first break in hindi film ‘Pehle Aap’ under ‘Sangeeton Ka Badshah’ Naushad, who became his true mentor.

Naushad used to compose very tough classical based songs which none other than Rafi could sing. If one listens to ‘O Duniya Ke rakhwale’ of Baiju bawra and ‘Mohabbat zindabad’ of Mughl-e-Azam, one can notice the high pitch where even Rafi’s tone seems to almost breakdown.

He was the favourite of all illustrious music directors of his time such as, Naushad, Shankar-Jaikishen, S D Burman, C Ramchandra, Madan Mohan, O P Nayyar, Roshan and later R D Burman, Kalyanji –Anandji and Laxmikant-Pyarelal. In the fim ‘Ragini’ O P Nayyar even used Rafi to playback for Kishore Kumar for the song ‘Man mora Bawara’ which was classical based.

Rafi won 6 Film-Fare awards for 1960(Chaudhvin Ka-Chaudhvin Ka Chaand), 1961(Chasme Baddor-Sasural), 1964(Chahunga Main Tujhe-Dosti), 1966(Baharon Phool Barsaao-Suraj) 1968(Dil ke jharokhe min Tujko-Brahmachari), 1977(Kya Hua Tera Vaada-Hum Kisise Kum Nahin). He won the national award for ‘Kya Hua Tera vada’ from Hum Kisise Kum Nahin composed by R D Burman in 1977.

Although Rafi could sing any type of song, my choice of his best songs are classical based and although he has sung more hit classical based songs for a few composers like Naushad, Shankar Jaikishen, S D Burman  I have preferred to include his best with different music directors and to choose 20 best solo and 20 best duets has been extremely difficult. These songs are however arbitrarily numbered and not based in order of merit.

SOLO:

1. O Duniya Ke Rakhawale- Film: Baiju Bawra; Music-Naushad, sings for Bharat Bhoosan

   
   




2. Madhuban men radhika nache re – Film: Kohinoor, Music: Naushad, sings for Dilip Kumar

   
   




3. Ham bekhudi men tumko pukare chale gaye, Film: Kaala Paani, Music–S D Burman, sings for Dev Anand

   
   




4. Nache man mora magan dhik dha – Film:Meri Surat Teri Aankhen, Music–S D Burman sings for Ashok Kumar

   
   




5. Baharon phul barsao –Film: Suraj- Music: Shankar-Jaikishen, sings for Rajendra Kumar

   
   




6. Meri muhabbat javan rahegi – Film: Jaanwar – Shankar-Jaikishen, sings for Shammi kapoor

   
   




7. Raatbharka hai maheman andhera – Film: Sone Ki Chidiya; Music: O P Nayyar,  sings for Balraj Sahni

   
   




8. Rang aur nur ki baraat kise pesh karun – Film: Ghazal –Music: Madan Mohan, sings for Sunil Dutt

   
   




9. Man re tu kahe na dhir dhare –Film: Chitralekha-Music:Roshan, sings for Pradeep Kumar

   
   




10. Tute hue khvabonne – Film: Madhumati, Music: Salil Choudhury,  sings for Dilip Kumar

    
    




11. Maine chand aur sitaronki tamanna kit hi, Film:Chandrakantaa- Music: N Dutta, sings for Bharat Bhoosan

    
    




12. Chaudhavin ka chand ho –Film:  Chaudhavin ka Chand-Music: Ravi, sings for Gurudutt

    
    




13. Bhari duniya mein akhir dil ko samajhane kahan  jaayen – Film: Do Badan- Music: Ravi,  sings for Manoj Kumar

    
    




14. Kabhi khud pe kabhi haalaath pe ronaa aayaa – Film: Hum Dono; Music: Jaidev  sings for Dev Anand.

    
    




15. Jane kya dhundti rahati hain-Film: Shola aur Sabnam-Music: Khayyam, sings for Dharmendra

    
    




16. Hum tum se juda ho ke – Film: Ek Sapera Ek Lutera- Music: Kalyanji-Anandji sings for Firoz Khan

    
    




17. Chahunga main tujhe sanjh savere – Film: Dosti –Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal sings for Sushil kumar

    
    




18. Keh Do Koi Na Kare Yahan Pyaar – Film: Goonj Uthi Shehnaai- Music:  Vasant Desai, sings for Rajendra Kumar

    
    




19. Takdir ka fasaana- Film: Sehra; Music- Ramlal sings for Prashant

    
    




20. Ankhiyana sang ankhiya lagi aaj – Film: Bada Aadami –Music- Chitragupt, sings for Subiraj

    
    

DUETS

1. Jo vada kiya vo nibhana padega–with Lata, Film:Taj Mahal, Music: Roshan [Pradeep Kumar-Bina Rai]

   
   




2. Tere bina sajna lage na jiya hamar – with Lata Film: Aarti, Music: Roshan [Pradeep Kumar-Meena Kumari]

   
   




3. Ajahun na aye balma – with Suman Kalyanpur,  Film:Sanjh Aur Savera, Music: Shankar-Jaikishen [Mehmood-Sobha Khote]

   
   




4. Tere bin soone nayan hamare –with Lata Film: Meri Soorat Teri Aankhein- Music: S D Burman [Ashok Kumar- Asha Parekh]

   
   




5. Dekh humen awaz na dena o bedard zamane. with Asha, Film: Amar Deep, Music: C Ramchandra [Dev Anand-Vyajayantimala]

   
   




6. Do sitaronka Zamin par hai milan –with Lata Film:  Kohinoor Music: Naushad  [Dilip Kumar-Meena Kumari]

   
   




7. Yaad mein teri jaag jaag ke hum –with Lata, Film: Mere Mehboob Music:  Naushad  [Rajendra Kumar- Sadhna]

   
   




8. Kya Hua tera vada. with Shushma Shrestha,  Film: Hum Kisise Kum nahin, Music: R D Burman[ Tariq- Kajal Kiran]

   
   




9. Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko – with Asha,  Film:Yaadon Ki Baraat- Music:  R D Burman [  Vijay Arora- Zeenat Aman]

   
   




10. Kabhi raat din hum dur the –with Lata, Film: Aamne Saamne- Music: Kalyanji-Anandji  [Shashi kapoor-Sharmila Tagore]

    
    




11. Woh jab yaad aye bahut yaad aye –with Lata, Film: Parasmani, Music:  Laxmikant-Pyarelal [Mahipal- Gitanjali ]

    
    




12. Rimjhimke geet sawan gaye –with Lata Film: Anjaana-Music: Laxmikant Pyarelal [Rajendra Kumar- Babita]

    
    




13. Apko pyar chupaneki buri adat hai –with Asha, Film: Neela Akash, Music:  Madan Mohan [Dharmendra-Mala Sinha]

    
    




14. Jivanmen piya tera sath rahe –with Lata, Film: Gunj Uthi Shehnai, Music: Vasant  Desai  [Rajendra Kumar- Ameeta]

    
    




15. Abhi na jao chhodkar ke dil abhi bhara nahin – with Asha, Film: Hum Dono, Music: Jaidev  [Dev Anand-Sadhna]

    
    




16. Aap yun hi agar humse milte rahe dekhiye ek din pyaar ho  jaayega - with Asha, Film:  Ek Musafir Ek Hasina, Music: O P Nayyar [Joy Mukherji-Sadhna]

    
    




17. Vrindavanka krishna kanhaiya- with Lata, film: Miss Mary, Music: Hemant Kumar  [Gemini Ganesh- Meena Kumari]

    
    




18. Chalo dildar chalo – with Lata Film: Pakeezah, Music: Ghulam Mohammad [Raj Kumar-Meena Kumari]

    
    




19. Parbatonke pedon para shamka basera- with Lata Film: Shagun Music:  Khayyam [Kamaljeet-Waheeda Rehman]

    
    




20. Kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya – with Lata Film: Suvarna Sundari, Music: Adi Narayan  Rao   [Nageswar Rao-Anjali Devi]