Badshah-E-Mausiqui Mohd Rafi.

From The Rafi Foundation, Mumbai. Cell: 9833 250 701. Mail : binus2000@hotmail.com

Mohd Rafi Portrait being handed over by Artist C.S. Pant to Binu Nair of Rafi Foundation

It’s rare that a singer’s giant sized pictures are splashed on giant bill boards and hoardings three decades after his moving away from us.

Yes friends. It’s Dec 24th. The smiling picture of Badshah-E-Mausiqui Mohd Rafi Sahib looms across Mumbai Suburbs on the occasion of his 87th birth anniversary celebration which will honor ‘Chaudvin Ka Chand Ho’ composer Ravi Sahib along with another Co-singer going by the name Shailendra Singh. (more…)

By Achal Rangaswamy

Mohd Rafi's 87th Birthday

As December approaches ( and I have written this in an earlier birthday post of Rafi Saab), I look forward to my birthday and also that of my Idol. But there is another great character who we all remember very fondly as the month of December starts. And we look forward to his appearing before us.

One wonders why we haven’t noticed this uncanny resemblance between the two of them !!
One man who smiled all the time, another a slightly older man who smiled and made everyone smile. (more…)

Source: Qamaal Mustafa Sikander

Mohd Rafi

Farrukh Viqar, famous RJ of UAE and Neeil have shared a wonderful gift with Rafifans on Rafi Sahab’s 87th  birthday. Its not very often that a Legend is born. Here is our small attempt to go back to the place where it all began.

Farrukh Viqar & Neeil on their expedition, Sangam Express an initiative by 89.1 Radio 4, (U.A.E.) traveled all the way from Dubai to Kotla Sultan Singh (a small village about 30kms from Amritsar, Punjab) to explore the place where it all began for the Singing Legend Md. Rafi. (more…)

By Souvik Chatterji

Mohd Rafi

The listeners of music all over the world wish happy birthday to Mohammad Rafi on 24th December, 2011. The noble soul had left his admirers 31 years ago. Yet he is alive in numerous everlasting hit songs which are heard and cherished for generations.

A Mohammad Rafi Musical Academy should be opened in Mumbai. The aim and objective of the Academy should be to train singers in the art of playback singing. The way Pune Film and Development Institute had created acting talents like Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and others, in the same way Mohammad Rafi Academy and appoint singers of repute from different parts of the world to train young singers in the art of playback singing. (more…)

By: H.A.K. Walijah

Dev Anand in Guide

Mohammad Rafi has sung many hit songs for Dev Anand`s films, the magic of Mohd. Rafi and Dev Anand still lingers on when we listen songs such as: Khoya Khoya Chand (Kala Bazar), Main Zindagi ka saath (Hum Dono), Jiya o jiya zara (Jab pyar kisi se hota hai); Teri zulfon se judai (Jab pyar kisi se hota hai); Cheda Mere Dil Ne (Asli Naqli); Tere ghar ke samne (title song); Tu kahan yeh bata (Tere ghar ke saamne); Dil ka bhanwar kare pukar (Tere ghar ke saamne); Falsafa Pyar Ka Tum Kya Jaano (Duniya); Aise to na dekho ke hum ko nasha (Teen Deviyan); Kahin bekhayal hokar yun hi chu liya (Teen Deviyan). His combination with Mohd. Rafi has given us great moments. (more…)

By J.K. Bhagchandani

Dev Anand

‘India’s youngest star dies at 88’ read the heading in the ‘Times of India’ on Dec. 05, 2011, and that I think, aptly summed up the persona of Dev saab. His zest, zeal and enthusiasm emitted so much of positive energy that ordinary mortals like us can only applaud at the sidelines.

The anecdote that defines the Dev Saab’s concept of a film (or his life for that matter) goes back to early seventies. It was when he declined the offer of film ‘Zanjeer’ as the film did not have any song picturized on him. An eternal romantist that he was, a movie without such musical ingredient, was not the type Dev saab would feel at home. That was the kind of importance he gave to the film’s music. The super success of that film ‘Zanjeer’ (which commissioned Amitabh Bachan to the subsequent immortality) may spur some analysts to declare the incident as ‘a missed opportunity’ or ‘a great professional blunder’ but not Dev Saab himself. (more…)

By Achal Rangaswamy

Rafi Sahab with Dev and Pancham

Dev saab entered the warm and nicely furnished room.

He wasn’t surprised to see a very familiar and smiling face.  It was his voice, the voice that had sung so many of his romantic songs, sad songs, happy songs and patriotic songs. In fact he had been wondering who was the most likely person he would meet when he walked in here. (more…)

By IANS

Dev Anand

From “Baazi” in 1951 to “Chargesheet” in 2011, it was an untrammeled joyride through six decades of Bollywood. It’s curtains for the ageless Dev Anand, who oversaw the growth of the Hindi film industry from the black and white era to technicolour, and leaves behind a unique legacy of a star who had moved way beyond his cinematic works.

He acted, he directed and produced… almost till the end with his last film “Chargesheet” being released this year when he was all of 88 and still raring to go, as ebullient and ageless as ever. Reviewing “Chargesheet”, a well known critic put against the rating “irrelevant”. It truly didn’t matter by then whether the film was good or bad. The much loved legend had given so much through the years that he was forgiven almost everything. (more…)