BBC Interview of Rafi Sahab in 1977
Here is an audio treat - the audio interview of the legend. This was in Brittania, during 1977 while Rafi Sahab was on world tour. My thanks to Shuklas@HF for providing us all this interview. The transcript of the interview is below. Just read through and listen to Rafi Sahab speak in his soft voice. How transparent he is in his thoughts.
Mohd Rafi, jo lagta hai abhi kal taq jo hamare darmiyan the, aur phir voh chale gaye. Abhi chand baras huve jo woh London aaye the; unse ghulmil kar baatein ho rahin thi. Yakeen nahin aata jitni oonche unki taane thi, use se bhi oonchi aasmaanon mein unhone basera kar liya hai, aur jitne neechi unki sur the, unhe us se bhi zyada neechi need aagayi hai. Mohd Rafi, marhoom. Yeh November sathathar (1977) ki baat hai, Mohd Rafi, Brittania ke kayi sheheron mein, bade bade mazhumon ke saamne gaa chuke the. Hamne unse puucha ke:
Download this 10 Minutes interview (9MB)
Interviewer: aapko apne saamne paakar, aur khud aapki zabaan mein, apne pasandida geet sunkar, logon ne kya mehsoos kiya?
Rafi: Bahut achha kiya ji, bahut achha kiya. Response achha mila. Public itni khush huyi bahut.
Interviewer: Achha Tho Yeh Baatayiye, ab aap is tamaam safar ke baad wapar bambai pahunchenge; wahan phir aage ke liye aapke kya mansoobe hain, kya plans hein?
Rafi: Kuch nahin, wahan jaake ham apna recording shuru kardenge ji. Sab log rasta dekh rahe hein udhar. Telephone aarahe hein, jaldi aayiye; jaldi aayiye.
Interviewer: Phir hamne Mohd Rafi se poocha ke hindustan ki filmon mein aapko gaate huve, chauthaayi sadise bhi zyada arsa ho chuka hai. Kabhi aapne hisaab lagaya hai ke, itne bahut se barason mein, aapne kul milakar kitne gaane gaaye hein?
Rafi: Aisa jahan tak mujeh yaad hai ki, mujeh isline mein painteez (35) saal hogaye, aur us arse ke andar maine pachheez hazaar (25000) gaane gaayen hein; pachheez - chabeez hazaar (25000-26000).
Interviewer: Achha pacheez-chabeez hazaar gaano mein, aisa nahin hota ke aap, kuch gaanon ke dhoone bhool gayen hon?
Rafi: Aisa tho kuch nahin, jo gaane hit horahe zyada inko, voh gaane yaad rehte hein. Kayi aise gaane bhi hein jo bhool bhi gaye hein.
Interviewer: Achha yeh batayiye ke, yeh jo microphone hein istarah jo aadmi peheli baar iske saamne aata hai tho, usko khauf aata hai. Microphone se kehete hein ke aadmi darta hai; aur, shuru mein kaafi arse taq usse khauf aata hai. Aur aap yeh samajhiye ke painteez saal microphone ke saamne guzare hein; yeh bataayi, ke jab aap, farz kijiye jab aap gaane khade huye the, yahan badla wafa ka bewafaayi ke siva kya hai, us waqt aap ko kaisa mehsoos ho raha tha?
Rafi: Aisa, zara si kuch jijhak aati, thodi si, phir baad mein tik ho jatha hai. Bajne se tho gaane, gaane ke baad phir se dhun aajaayegi.
Interviewer: Ab jab aap, mashallah itne arse se gaa rahein hein tho, ab aapko, microphone ke aage kaisa mehsoon hota hai?
Rafi: Bas, mehesoos kuch nahin hota ji. Ek dam free gaata hun mein bas.
O duniya ke rakhwale song plays.
Interviewer: Kahan hai yeh paakdaar awaaz aur kahan apni neeji zindagi mein, bhole bhale, seedhe saadhe, balke sach poochiye tho kuch, sehme sehme the Mohd Rafi. Yakeen nahin aata. Hamne unse Poocha ke recording studio mein tho aap aksar jaate hein. Lekin ab aap yahan Brittania mein, hazaaron mazhumon ke saamne gaa rahe hein. Kya us gaane mein, aur, is gaane mein kuch faraq hai?
Rafi: Ji haan. Bahut, ek dam change peheli dafa hota hai. Har public ki farmaish poori karni padti hai, aur jaise jaise log farmaish karte hein, waise hi gaana gaana padta hai. Usi Mood mein koyi Rock N Roll, Bhajan, Classical, ji waise gaana padta hai.
Interviewer: Mohd Rafi ki ek badi khoobi yeh thi ke voh thirakte huve geeton se lekar, tehre tehre classici raagon taq, sabi kuch, badi masharath se gaate the. Aise mehero mein unse poocha gaya ke, tarah tarah se filmon ke badalte huve manzaron ke muthabik, aap apne gaane ka andaaz, aur apni kaifiyath ko kaise badalte hein?
Rafi: Aise voh, director ham logon ko batate hein, shuru mein batate hein, yeh gaana voh gaarahein sab, Kayi saal pehele picture aayi thi Neel Kamal, Usmein Ek Gaana tha, Babul Ki Duvayen lethi Jaa. Us mein se, meri ek ladki ki bhi shaadi thi, us ke doosre din mein yeh gaana record kiya. Tho wahan voh ladki gaati hai, tho meri aankhon mein aaraha tha aisa, ke jaise meri ladki abhi jaa rahi hai, doli mein, aisa aisa, tho lagta tha ke, gaane ekdam jazbaat se dil se nikal gaya.
Babul Ki Duvayen Lethi Ja song plays.
Interviewer: Aur Aakhir mein hamne Mohd Rafi se poccha, Ke Aap, painteez barson mein, pacheez se chhabeez hazar gaane gaaye hein, tho kya aap samjhthe hein mausiki ki duniya mein, apni zindagi ka, sab se achha nagma aap gaa chuke hein?
Rafi: Yeh tho dariya hai music ka. Yeh tho kabhi khatam hota nahin bas. Jitne bhi is mein, har tarah khushi ka sana hoti rehegi bas ismein.
Interviewer: Ek dafa Rafi Sahab koyi tees saal huve, maine Illahbaad ke ek tehele mein aapka Interview pada tha. Us mein unhone aap se poocha tha ke Rafi Sahab, aapko apna gaya huva kaunsa gaana sab se zyada pasand hai? Us waqt aapne kaha tha, Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki. Kya apne is bayaan par aap abhi Kayam hai?
Rafi: Ji haan, yeh gaana achha hai, bahut sweet lagta hai bas.
Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki song plays.
June 1st, 2006 at 12:01 am
G.M.Ansari,
Meri koshish hai ki mai md.rafi sahab ke liye kuch karu.Meri magzine le liye maine kafi articals jama kiye hai,agar kisi ko artical dena hai to mujhe zarur contect kare,mera mobile no,9833484837hai,Hamara email,mohdrafigroup@rediffmail.com
Hamre sath mr.Rashid khan sahab bhi hai,aap unse bhi contect karsakte hai,9869030908
May 31st, 2006 at 11:54 pm
G.M.Ansari,
md.rafi sahab,bharat ratan aur dada saheb falke award ke haqdar the aur hai.2003,se hum mumbai mai md.rafi chok par unki barsi aur unka janamdin manarahe hai.iss saal hum un par ek magzine realised karne ki koshish mai hai.
G.M.Ansari,9833484837/Rashid khan/9869030908
May 31st, 2006 at 11:20 pm
I had a great oppertunity to listen legendary Mohd. Rafi live in the Wheaton Highschool Auditorium in mid seventies (usa). He sang all my favourites.
Mohammad Rafi is a class by himself - as an artist and a gentleman.
May all mighty God grant his soul righteous path and everlasing peace.
May 26th, 2006 at 3:19 pm
what a sweet voice. A voice that comes from the Almighty Allah.and thrillled millions of listen everyday.
after hearing this interview really couldnt believe that a man
with this melodiuos voice is so simple and soft -spoken.
may Allah rest his soul in peace and enter him a Jannah.
till now no voice can be matched with the voice of this great human being.
rafi sahab never play his popularity card for personal gains.
his son had said in the interview when ever his father was asked
about his popularity . he straghtly point out his finger towards sky .
and said ” sub kuch upar wale ki den hain”
we get moral lesson from this great singer that all blessings comes
from Almighty Allah. Rafi sahib ki sub se achhi baat jo mujhe lagi, woh dunia ki aasiyash ko thukra kar Apni naam Ki Saath Muhammad Lagwana hai, Iss se maloom hota hai keh Rafi Sahib kitne Aashiq-e-Rasool the. Allah unhein iss baat ki jaza-e-khair ata farmaye. (Aamin Sum Aamin)
May 26th, 2006 at 11:30 am
There will never be another Rafi. There might be singers who approach his calibre
now and then, there might be people who are as good human beings as him. But never
will be a person who is as good a combination of both as Mohd. Rafi.
And thanks for the interview, folks
May 23rd, 2006 at 1:25 pm
what a sweet voice /. what a hubmble human being ?
a voice that comes from the almighty allah.and thrillled millions of listen everyday.
after hearing this interview really couldnt believe that a man
with this melodiuos voice is so simple and soft -spoken.
may allah rest his soul in peace and enter him a jannah.
till now no voice can be matched with the voice of this great human being.
rafi sahab never play his popularity card for personal gains.
his son had said in the interview when ever his father was asked
about his popularity . he straghtly point out his finger towards sky .
and said ” sub kuch upar wale ki den hain”
we get moral lesson from this great singer that all blessings comes
from almighty allah.
May 20th, 2006 at 3:39 pm
Excellent! Wonderful!! Fantastic!
My hearty congrats to this website. I never heard rafi saab talking and this was the first interview i heard. I believe we will see more and more such events on this site. This web site will reach aasman ki boolundi.
Had rafi saab been alive, this site would have become his most beloved.
Wish you all the best.
Rajiv Deshpande.
From Crawley, UK
May 18th, 2006 at 7:56 am
What can I say more to hear the megical and spellbounding voice of a legendary singer of last century Mohd Rafi sahab for the first time in my life. In all these years I do heard his immortal voice in the form of hummings and songs but this live interview is just treat for every Rafi fan and I don’t have words to thank those who have posted this interview on this site. Once again thanks alot and please do share more of his live interviews or concerts if someone possess that precious repertoire. God bless your humble soul Rafi sahab. I can’t imagine to live without hearing your impeccable voice on daily basis.
May 16th, 2006 at 1:04 pm
Dear friends
first time probably i heard rafi sahab speaking. was a great experience.
Thanks to those who made this possible.
Thanks to BBC and mohdrafi.com
May 15th, 2006 at 2:22 am
Listening to Rafi Sahibs interview made me feel as though I had died and gone to Heaven, I can’t thank you enough, I have been, and all my family are huge Rafi fans all our lives. I have craved to hear Rafi Sahibs voice and at last my wish has come true. If there are any more such interviews etc., please lets hear them and let his fans not only enjoy his songs but also praise the day we all heard his sweet voice. Thank you so very much for this fantastic gift.
May 14th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
once again thanks for the interview i realy dont have words
to say about it
alhumdulilah
May 13th, 2006 at 9:34 am
EHSAN MERE DIL PE TUMARA HAIN DOSTO YEH DIL TUMARE PYAR KAA MARRA HAIN DOSTO………THANKS A MILLION FOR PROVIDING THE PRICELESS YET REMARKABLE INTERVIEW OF RAFI SAHAB FOR OUR LISTENING. RAFI SAAB KI TAARIF KARNA TO SURAJ KO DIYA DIKHANEY WALI BAAT HAIN……..SHUKRIAA.
May 11th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Dear Sir,
I can’t believe that Mohd.Rafi has sing about 25000 songs.
I have Mohd.Rafi geet kosh and only 4500 songs they mention.
Mybe songs he has recorded but never used in film. Lata has sings about 5.500 and Asha Bhosle about 8.500 and Kishore about 3500.
A record collector
May 7th, 2006 at 1:42 pm
somtimes we fall short of words to express our feelings…..i am in a similar situation after downloading and listening to this audio file…..i felt that i was simply litsening to rafi sahab live…….i really thank everyone involved in bringing this interview……i am sure that this will be a great gift and a treat to all rafi sahab’a fans..
May 7th, 2006 at 12:34 am
Thanks a lot for providing Rafi sahib’s interview. I listened to the interview with tears in my eyes and smile on my lips. His voice brings joys as well as sadness. Joy because we are fortunate to listen to that voice and sadness because Mohammad Rafi is no longer with us. He was simple, humble and soft-spoken; yet he had such a beautiful and a commanding voice, so smooth that it enters all the way in to your heart and mind - to the depths of your soul. I am an avid music fan. I listened to all the singers of his time and today’s, but Mohammad Rafi gives me the most pleasure. I wish I had met him or listened to him in person. The rich collection of songs he left behind is a gift for the mankind. I listen to his songs every day. On days when I am down, his voice uplifts my spirits. Listening to Rafi songs in high volume is even more fun. The beautiful voice overwhelms you completely. May Allah bless his soul! He brought happiness to so many and will keep on doing so for years to come.
May 5th, 2006 at 10:35 pm
That was something….. cannot be expressed. A great human being. Today, I got this opportunity to hear his voice and it seemed that this interview is taking place right in front of my eyes. Thank you very much to the people who are responsible for providing millions of Rafi sahab’s fans like me to hear his voice. Now I will enjoy his songs even more than before. Thank you!
May 5th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
I AM JUST SPELLBOUND AFTER LISTEN THE INTERVIEW OF RAFI SAHAB.BUT IT IS MY HUMBLE REQUEST TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THIS PRICELESS INTERVIEW FAMILIER THAT SOME MORE INTERVIWES AND MOST IMPORTANT THE RAFI SAHABS FUNCTIONS,SPCIALLY THE FUNCTION HE PERFORMED IN LAHORE WHERE RAFI SAHAB SANG THE SONG “O DUNIYA KE RAKHWALE” IN VERY SPECIAL MANNER.IF POSSIBLE PLEASE UPLOAD THE VIDEO OF THIS FUNCTION OR ANY OTHER FUNCTION PERFORM BY RAFI SAHAB.
REGARDS:SANDIP SARKAR,
May 4th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
I do not have enough words to describe how I am feeling after hearing this interview. When Rafi Sahab gave this interview, I was only one year old, and when he passed away, I was barely 4 years of age, and at that point in my life I was introduced to Rafi Sahab’s immortal voice when my father bought an audio cassette ” Best of Mohd.Rafi-Vol1″ . Once I heard his voice, I don’t know what happened to me from that day, the cassette became a favourite possesion of mine. I do not remember how many times I used to play that casssette on the stereo. I had memorized all the songs in that cassette and from thereon my fascination for old hindi film music and especially Rafi Sahab’s songs grew leaps and bounds. I cannot think ofone single day when I have not hummed a Rafi Sahab song whereever I may be. All this long I had heard and read as well that he voice when he spoke was very peaceful and sweet. Rajesh Roshan Sahab - son of music director Roshan Sahab had once said ” Tension se bhare maahaul mein Rafi sahab ki awaz sukuoon deti thi. ” Today, I got this opportunity to hear his voice and it seemed that this interview is taking place right in front of my eyes. Thank you very much to the people who are responsible for providing millions of Rafi sahab’s fans like me to hear his voice. Now I will enjoy his songs even more than before. Thank you!
May 4th, 2006 at 11:00 pm
Thank you very much sir. I am very pleased to listen such a beautiful voice in interview. I love Rafi Sahib. He is so simple and that makes him special. I do not think that his place will be filled. He is the gre8 and will be the legend of legends. Thanks once again for downloading this interview.
May 4th, 2006 at 9:03 am
Listening to the Mohammad Rafi’s interview,made me feel if I am there sitting next to mohammad rafi. though I never met this legend singer in my life, but his songs were masterpiece. Thanks to all you guys who provided us the opputunity to listen to this singers humble voice beside his song that i listened all my life. Thanks once again.
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:13 pm
Hearty thanks to all the people who have made this interview available to rafian who wanted to listen rafi sahab talking.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:30 pm
Many thanks to all the people who have made this interview available to millions of Rafi fans.
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:02 pm
alhumdullilah
vry much thanks for this interview rafi sahab baat karte hue sunkar barso ki khawish aaj puri hui
thanks once again
May 1st, 2006 at 11:05 pm
there is word 2 thanks for this interview it is more than gold.
May 1st, 2006 at 10:50 pm
Thank you all nice people who have made this interview available. It appears that Rafi Sahaab is really still in our midst and as if he is talking to us all. I must say all this assumes great significance. Even an iota of information about Rafi Sahaab surely sends all his fans into ecstasy.
Thank you once again from the bottom of my heart (one of the many unknown but avid fans).
NASIR