This article is written by Mr.H.V.Guru Murthy

Mohammed Rafi Saab has sung more than four hundred duets with Lataji, more than 900 with Ashaji and around 100 duets with Suman Kalyanpur. These three talented Singers with Rafiji made most of these songs hits even though some of the songs were ordinary as for as lyrics or music or picturisation was concerned.

Rafiji has also sung innumerable duets with other well known / lesser known Singers and gave wonderful hummable hits. In fact, he never tried to overshadow any of these lesser known Singers and matched them perfectly. In fact, some of these Singers are known only by their duets with Rafiji.

With Geeta Dutt, Rafiji gave hits like, “Aankhon Hi Aankhon Me” and “Ae Dil Hai Mushqil” (CID), “Sun Sun Sun Jalima” (AAR PAAR), “Tum Jo Huye Mere Hamsafar” (12 O CLOCK), “Jane Kahan Mera Jigar Gayaji” and “Mohabbat Karlo Jee Bharlo” (MR. & MRS. 55) under the baton of OPN. Another good song was “Gareeba Janake Muzhko Na Tum Bhula Dena” (CHOOMANTAR).

Mohd Rafi with Geeta Dutt and Family

Under SDB, MR and GD gave “Rim Zhim Ke Tarane Leke Aayi Barsaat” (KALA BAZAAR), “Hum Aapaki Aankhon Me” (PYAASA) and “Chupakese Mile Pyaase Pyaase” (MANZIL). In fact, the Kala Bazaar song, I personally consider, as one of the best picturised duets in the Indian Film Industry, the best being “Pyaar Hua Ikraar Hua” from SHREE 420. What a wonderful song it was, Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehmaan walking with an Umbrella on a rainy day having met accidentally after so many years and the song coming in the back-ground. The hero and heroin have so much to tell but are unable to express because of some hesitation, but their eyes expressing all they wanted to share.

Sharada was another Singer with whom Rafiji gave good duets. She was mainly taken by SJ and there were duets like “Jab Bhi Yeh Dil Udaas Hota Hai” (SEEMA), “Badakamma Badakamma” (SHATRANJ), “Jaane Chaman” (GUMNAAM) and “Sun, Sun, Sunore Balam” (PYAAR MOHABBAT), if this song can also be considered as a duet as Rafiji sang only Mukhda at the end. There was one more duet in F.C.Mehra’s ELAAN starring Vinod Mehra and Rekha. Sharada has also sung some good duets with Mukesh in films like AROUND THE WORLD.

After breaking up with Asha, OPN gave “Hont Hai Tere Do Laal Heere” (HEERA MOTI) with Krishna Kalle. We also had some non-Lata, non-Asha duets like “Meri Hasaraton Ki Duniya, Tu Mile Kahin Jo Muzhko” (RAAT KE ANDHERE ME), “Muzhko Apne Gale Lagalo” (HUMRAAHI) with Mubarak Begum, “Leke Pehla Pehla Pyaar” (CID) with Shamshad Begum and of course Asha, “O Gadiwale” and “Dukh Bhare Din Beetere Bhaiya” (MOTHER INDIA) and “Bheega Bheega Pyaar Ka Sama” (SAWAN) and “Door Koi Gaye” (BAIJU BAWRA) with Shamshad Begum, “Yahan Badala” (JUGNU) with Noorjehan (first Hindi song of Rafiji), “Kara Mora Kajara Churaya Toone” (DO DIL) with Aarti Mukherjee, “Sara Jahan Chodake Tuzhe”, , “Pehli Nazar Me” (THE BURNING TRAIN), “Pakado Pakado Pakado” (NASSEB), “Oye Tu Raat Khadi Thi” (HIMALAY KI GOD ME) with Usha Khanna, “Saibaba Bolo” (SIRDI KE SAIBABA) with Usha Mangeshkar, “Ghadi Milan Ki Aayee” (EK BAAP AUR CHE BETE) with Sulakshana Pandit, etc.

Rafi Sahab rehersing Mohobbat Ka Haath Jawani Ka Palla Subhanallah Babu Subhanallah

Rafiji also sang some hit duets with some film heroines, the songs restricting the heroines to some dialogues. Songs like “Aaj Ki Raat” (AMAN) and Title song of APRIL FOOL with Saira Banu, “Aasamanase Aaya Farishta” (AN EVENING IN PARIS) with Sharmila Tagore and “Ek Tha Gul Aur Ek Thi Bul Bul” (JAB JAB PHOOL KHILE) with Nanda immediately come to our mind.

Rafiji never needed a prop, on the other hand, he was a prop to so many other Singers, Music Directors, Actors, Directors, Films, etc. Perhaps, due to his simplicity, all the people used to feel comfortable in his company and that may be one of the reasons why new comers either Heroes or Singers or Music Directors or Producers or Directors commenced their film career with Rafiji. For example, people like LP (Parasmani), RDB (Naqli Nawab), Dheeraj (Raton Ka Raja), Shivakumar (Mauva), Sudhir Kumar (Dosti), Rajesh Khanna (Raaj), Nazir Hussain (Tumsa Nahin Dekha), Usha Khanna (Dil Deke Dekho), Deepak Kumar (Abroo), Sonic Omi (Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya), etc. started their career with Rafi Saab. So many films just ran because of Rafji’s songs.

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