By Devdatta P. Bijoor

Mohd Rafi

As a kid born in the eighties, growing up in the nineties in Mumbai, I was exposed to a lot of hindi film music and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. The beauty of our industry’s film songs are they are created for a situation in a film that we know to be an illusion, however the emotions in the songs and lyrics are usually something we do relate to. (more…)

By Mr Anirudha Rao; provided by Devdatta Bijoor

Mohd Rafi

The cruel hands of destiny were indeed so very cruel to have snatched away amidst us the World’s most loved, respected, admired and sweet velvet voiced personality in the sheer form of Mohammed Rafi Sahab thirty one years ago on this fateful day. Thousands have come and vanished in thin air but alas the void created by this immortal genius is most difficult to fill in just seems probably impossible to re-create the greatness and class left behind by Rafi Sahab. (more…)

By Indo Asian News Service

Veteran actor Dev Anand remembered Mohammed Rafi on his 31st death anniversary Sunday, saying the legendary singer was one of the greatest souls.

“Rafi’s death anniversary is today but he is indeed immortal and (I) always feel he is around and in our hearts n soul I admire his voice and range. Rafi a great soul very quiet and fine person,” the actor posted on micro-blogging site Twitter. (more…)

By Indo Asian News Service

Singing legend Lata Mangeshkar remembers late singer Mohammed Rafi on his 31st death anniversary and says there can never be a singer like him again. Both of them sang 414 duets together.

“Today’s the 31st death anniversary of Rafi sahab. He was an honest and a lovely human being. My family and Rafi sahab shared a great relationship together. It’s my honour that I got an opportunity to sing maximum number of songs with him,” Lata posted on her Twitter page. (more…)

By Madhusree Chatterjee – Indo Asian News Service

The badshah of Bollywood playback singing, Mohammed Rafi, who gave Indian cinema 40 golden years of haunting melodies, was one of the few survivors in the industry who lived through its hard glitter with his soul in place, says his son and biographer Shahid Rafi.

Shahid, who is penning a book about his father with writer Sujata Dev, says he wants to explore the human side of his father. (more…)

By Ramesh Narain Kurpad – Rafiaarenkay at gmail.com / rameshkurpad at gmail.com

Mohd Rafi

At the outset – I would like to warn all you friends that this is me – unleashed – unplugged – uninhibited going berserk just talking to you all about a great human being who lived – loved –sang  and  breathed divine music and passed away. My jottings as I would like to call them will not have a set pattern but would be reverential expressions loosely strewn at random.

He left a world full of humans – following him and his singing as an institution and in time to come has almost become a cult. (more…)

By Shrirang Nawathe

Mohd Rafi with Dilip Kumar

A song is an outcome of Team work, but, a memorable melodious song is an outcome of Dedicated Teamwork. A small difference makes the dividing line. It was a Golden Era of Hindi Film Music in sixties when Music Directors, Singers, Lyricists made an everlasting impact due to their sincere devotion to the profession. Another dimension to make these songs worth listening was their mutual understanding and adjustments for a common objective. Practically they were tuned to equal wavelengths. We thus had  distinguished groups like RK Studios who had a team of  SJ/Shailendra/HasratJaipuri, Navketan Films had  Majrooh Sultanpuri/SDB,Nasir Husaain used to have RD Burman from Teesri Mamzil onwards. There was a trio following the same tradition and their team was like a TRIVENI SANGAM of Shakeel/Naushad/Rafi who could deliver the best products. Film Industry is indebted by their contribution. (more…)

By Mr D P Bijoor. I am forwarding a small incident which is very interesting and may be informative to the innumerable admirers & fans of Rafi Sahab. The said incident was available to me through a very old book/magazine written in the memory of our beloved King of Melody & Dearest Mohammed Rafi Sahab titled “Rafinama”.

Mohd Rafi and Lalita Deulkar

Mohammed Rafi has sung the Holy “Mangalashtake” (wedding rhymes) in Marathi in the wedding of Sudhir Phadke & Lalita Deulkar in the year 1949.

Our beloved King of Melody Mohammed Rafi Sahab has sung almost 11 duets with Lalita Deulkar. Lalita Deulkar became Lalita Sudhir Phadke after marriage. Prior to becoming a playback singer she was an actress and had started her career in the year 1938 with Bombay Talkies film “Vachan” where she had played the role of a friend of Devika Rani. (more…)