Rafi - Lata Duets under Kalyanji Anandji
This article is written by Mr. H.V.Guru Murthy
Kalyanji and Anandji were two Music Directors who were fairly popular in the sixties and seventies. Though not in the same league as Naushad, SDB, OPN, MM, SJ, etc., they had their own place and loyal followers like Manoj Kumar, Prakash Mehra, Ramanand Sagar, etc.
It was apparent that their favourite Singers were Mukesh and Lata, though they made extensive use of Mahendra Kapoor especially in Manoj Kumar Films, Mohammed Rafi and Mannadey. In fact, during certain periods, they came out with hit movies fairly regularly.
Perhaps the first movie where they used Rafi Saab was in BEDARD ZAMANA KYA JAANE (Music by Kalyandji and Veerji Shah), with a hit Rafi - Lata duet, “Door Kahin Tu Chal“. The Rafi - KA combination also gave some wonderful songs in movies like JAB JAB PHOOL KHILE (Pardesiyonse Na, Ek Tha Gul, Humko Tumpe, Yahan Main and Suman duet “Na Na Karte“), AAMNE SAAMNE (O Mere Bechain, Aajkal Humse, Naina Milakar and Lata duet “Kabhi Raat Din“), HASINA MAAN JAYEGI (O Dilbar Jaaniye, Chale The Saath Milke and Lata duets “Dilbar Dilbar” and the super-melodious “Bekhudi Main Sanam“), EK SHRIMAN EK SHRIMATI (Asha duet “Pyaar Ko Ek Din” and solo “Chandani Raatme“), RAJA SAAB (Title song both in happy and sad version, Lata duet “Humne Aajase Tumhe“), incidentally all Shashi Kapoor starrers. In fact, we can even say that Shashi - Rafi combo was started by KA.
Lata Mangeshkar with Kalyanji
Other movies where Rafi - KA team made their mark were BAIRAAG (Asha duets “Sare Shahar Me” and “Peete Peete“, Lata duet “Sunore Suno“), KAB KYUN AUR KAHAN (Dilto Dil Hai and Lata duet “Pyaase Dil Bharde“), DIL NE PUKARA (Dekha Hai Sabhine Chaand Ko and the unique Lata duet “Humko Hone“), LALKAR (Jaate Jaate, Aaj Galo Muskurao and Lata duet “Bolde Mere Sathiyan“), GEET (Mere Mitwa and Lata duets “Mere Mitwa” and “Na Itna Sitam“), MARYADA (Mohabbat Ke Suhane Din, Lata duet “Tu Bhi Aaja” and Asha duet “Humse To Hasina“) and RAKHWALA (Ye Kaisi Maine and two super duets, with Asha “Rehne Do” and with Lata “Dilne Dilse“), JEE CHAHATA HAI (Humne Dekha Hai Tumhe, Kya Kehne Mausha Allah and Suman duets “Kya Kehne Mausha Allah ” and “Meri Zindagi Tere Pyaar Me“), ISHARA (Dil Bekararsa Hai and Lata duet “Hye Abdullah“).
The other popular songs of Rafi-KA team were Akele Hain (RAAJ), Oye Tu Raat Khadi Thi (Usha Khanna duet in HIMALAY KI GOD ME), Kaali Kaali Raat (UPKAR), Bahane Kyun Karti Ho (SAHELI), etc.
But for the above movies, KA extensively used Hemant Kumar, Manandey, Mahendra, Manhar and of course, Mukesh extensively in all other movies. Came seventies, they used Kishore in almost all the movies and for all actors.
Shashi kapoor with Anand Bakshi, Kalyanji-Anandji, Mohd Rafi
But still if observed carefully, it is revealed that KA came out with some scintillating Rafi - Lata duets in so many of their movies, though the main Singer in all these movies was Kishore or somebody else. Songs like Wada Karle Sajana (Haath ki Safai), Deewane Hain Deewano Ko (Zanjeer), Yun Hi Tum Muzhse Baat (Sacha Zhoota), Ek Baat Poochun (Katputli), Tumse Door Rahke (Adalat), Main Tuzhse Milne (Heera), Bahon Me Teri (Kala Pathar), etc. were not only melodious but became big hits. Even in MAHAL though the main Singer was Kishore for Dev Anand, still KA came out with a winner in the Rafi qawali “Toone Soorat Chupayi“. Similarly in GOPI they came out with a devotional song “Sukhake Sab Saathi” though other songs for Dilip Kumar were sung by Mahendra Kapoor. The song “Govinda Alare” in BLUFF MASTER is even now a MUST in any Janmashtami celebrations in the Country. Even in “Ek Hasina Do Deewane” Rafi came out with a dancing number “Yeh Naachvaach Kya Hai” though both Mukesh and KK also sang in the movie.
The Rafi-Lata-KA team carried a unique stamp and gave us memorable hits and invariably these duets became more popular than the other songs in the movie. Perhaps they reserved certain songs for the two best playback singers.
March 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
dear guru murthi, thanks for ur nice article about rafi and kalyanji anandji.according to me ka had given ear soothing music to samrat chandra gupt itself . you had not mention that filim and in post 5 dr.kaja sab had pointed about this.similely the famous tragic song in the filim gopi sugu mai sab saathi aur dukkh maina koi..also the out come of rafi’-ka association.in the filim himalay ki godu mai rafi sang with usha thimoti , not usha kanna, i don’t know whether it is the same person.dear sirs , have u heard about the song “mai hum pappa khan.. mademe bil bilan ..”.i think it was sung by rafi and geeta dutt.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:28 pm
With reference to iqbal sahab’s comment, the music for the 1969 film shatranj was composed by none other than shankar jaikishan. let me point out to the song ‘badkamma, badkamma ekada potora…’ sung by mehmood, rafi sahab and sharada. sharada has not sung any song for naushad sahab; she has sung only for sj and her own compositions in hindi films. One has only to listen to the tunes and the orchestra in the film shatranj to identify that they bear the shankar jaikishan stamp.