Rafi with Unknown Personalities
This article is written by Mr. Anmol Singh
If we talk about the legendry singer Mukesh, Raj Kapoor comes in picture. Similarly if we talk about Kishore Kumar the first thing that strikes our mind is Rajesh Khanna & Amitabh. Same is the case with Mahendra Kapoor, Manoj Kumar comes in picture immediately. Perhaps this is not at all the case with Rafi Saab. One cannot associate Rafi Saab with any actor or personality as such right from the beginning of his career till the end. Rafi Saab is every one’s voice. We have had a lot of discussions related to Rafi Saab with actors like Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, etc. Here we will focus of songs pictured on unknown or small time actors sung by Rafi. This is another unique quality of this great personality called Mohd Rafi which needs to be explored.
In the late 40s & 50s there are some great songs which were picturized on unknown actors but remembered till date. “Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki” from Dullari . One can listen to this incredible score composed almost more that half a century ago infinite one of times. The song “Bapu Ki Amar Kahani”gives Rafi Saab a face lift perhaps the actor on screen is unknown. The song “Yeh Zindagi Ke Mele” is an all time classic perhaps again actor is unknown. Another song “Aana Hai Aa Raah Mein Undher Nahi Hai” from Naya Daur is also a beautiful devotional song also pictured on an unknown actor. There is one more famous score “Tujhe Kya Sunau Main Dil Rubaa” composed by Madan Mohan. Again the actor opposite Nutan in the song is unknown.
A still from the song Tujeh Kya Sunavun Mein Dilruba featuring Nutan with an unknown actor
From the 60s there where many more songs picturized on unknown personalities. To name a few, “Roshan Tumhi Se Duniya” and “Wo Jab Yaad Aaye, Bahut Yaad Aaye” from Parasmani. The actor on screen is Mahipal. A classical based score “Ankhiyan Sang Akhiyan Lagi” is truly classic perhaps the on screen actor is unknown. The song “Main Ye Sooch Kar” from Haqeekat is also magnificent, but the actor on screen is Sudhir who has acted as a small time character artist in many films there after. Who can forget the ever green songs of film “Dosti” picturized on unknown artists. The song “Chahunga Mein Tujhe” fetches Rafi Saab a film fare award. Another unforgettable score from Mughal-E-Azam, “Zindabad-Zindabad Ae Muhabat Zindabad” sung by Rafi Saab for an unknown actor. In this song Rafi’s voice completely super seeds the actor and the charges the entire atmosphere in such way that one hardly watches the actor on screen. An incredible score by Naushad from the film ‘Son of India’ is picturized on an unknown artist, “Zindagi Aaj Mere Naam Se”. There are two incredible gems in the film Sehra, “Tum Tho Pyar Ho Sajni” and “Teqdeer Ka Fasaana” picturized on the actor unknown. The song “Dono Ne Kia Tha” is picturized on an actor Shiv Kumar. In all the above songs hardly any one remembers actors like Mahipal, Sudhir, Shiv Kumar, etc. But the songs picturized on them are remembered till date.
As we move to the 70s the era of change and a new league of music composers and film makers. This era was completely different from the 50s and 60s. So it was for Rafi Saab as well. It was an era of challenge for him since many Rafi centric actors like Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Jeetendra, Shashi Kapoor, etc were provided playback by singers like Kishore, Manna Dey & Mukesh. It is during the 70s Rafi Saab’s success criteria on unknown or small time actors can be best understood. To start with a melodious score from film Seema, “Jab Bhi Ye Dil Udaas Hotaa Hai” picturized on Kabir Bedi. Who can forget “Churaliya Hai Tum Ne” & “Yadoon Ki Baraat” picturized on a new comer Vijay Arora. Another gem composed by Madan Mohan “Tum Jo Mil Gaye Ho” from film Haaste Zakham. On screen actor is another new comer Naveen Nishchol. Moving ahead with one more new comer in the 70s is Anil Dhavan. Classic songs like “Badi Door Se Aae Hai” and “Teri Galiyon Mein” are picturized on this actor. A song “Achan Hi Hua Dil Toot Gaya” from Maa Behan Aur Biwi picturized on an unknown actor fetches him a film fare nomination. One more song “Mein Ek Raja Hun” from film Uphaar is also famous but hardly any one remembers on the on screen actor. Who can forget the song based on street singers from the film Zanjeer, “Diwaane Hai Diwanoo Ko” picturized on the song writer Gulshan Bawaraa. “Apni Aankho Mein Basakar” is another example of picturization on an unknown actor. The song “Meri Hasraton Ki Duniya” is also picturized on small time actor Kiran Kumar. There are many such incredible examples from the early 70s.
Sudhir Dalvi in Aadmi Musaphir Hai
Perhaps this quality of Rafi Saab can be witnessed even in the late 70s and early 80s as well. The most classic examples are the songs “Chand Mera Dil”, “Yeh Ladka Hai Alla” & “Kya Hua Tera Wada” picturized on the actor Tariq Shah who acted mainly under the Nasir Hussian banner. “Kya Hua Tera Wada” fetches Rafi Saab both Film fare and National Award. There are more such examples. “Aadmi Mussafir Hai” is picturized on a small time actor Sudhir Dalvi. The song gives Rafi Saab another film fare nomination. The song “Chalo Doli Uthao” is sung in background by Rafi Saab gives him one more film fare nomination. The song “Tu Es Tarah Se Meri Zindagi” is picturized on another new comer Deepak Parashar. Similarly the song from Shaan “Aate Jaate Hue Mein” is picturized on a small timer actor Mazhar Khan.
Even when the super stars in the early 70s where preferring singers other than Rafi Saab it didn’t affect his success. Plus he won many film fare nominations in the 70s on songs picturized on unknown personalities. A total of 22 % film fare nominations are through songs picturized on unknown actors in his entire career span. Shammi Kapoor & Rajendra Kumar for whom Rafi Saab contributed maximum number of hits in the 60s constitute of 27 % nominations. Rest of the nominations have come through songs picturized on Guru Dutt, Raj Kumar, Balraj Sahni, Jitendra, Sanjeev Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Amitabh & Sanjay Khan. If the film fare awards criteria could have start 10 years earlier there would have been many contributions from Dilip Kumar, Bharat Bhushan & Guru Dutt. In other words Rafi Saab’s success is not at all personality driven plus his work is recognized when he sings any type of song for any artist in any situation. With the changing scenarios the actors faded with time but Rafi Saab kept on going contributing to new personalities. No wonder Rafi was always in great demand from the right from the beginning of his career till the end.
Among Rafi Saab’s contemporaries no singer has such a success rate with unknown personalities. In case of Mukesh 57 % nominations have come through songs picturized in Raj Kapoor & Manoj Kumar. Rest contributed by Sunil Dutt, Amitabh & Shashi Kapoor. Similar is the case with Kishore Kumar also. He has sung incredible scores for all actors but his 70 % film fare nominations have come through Rajesh Khanna & Amitabh combo. In other words the on screen performances of super stars have played a very vital role in their success.
Courtesy :
http://www.singermukesh.com
http://www.mohdrafi.com/awards
http://www.yoodleeyoo.com/nominations
http://filmfareawards.indiatimes.com
December 27th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Dear you all
I am soul-united with a 62 year-old Hindustani person. Ever since my childhood I was bathed in Hindustani music and songs although I understand only a few Hindustani, Hindi and Urdu words. I love poetry and am of the opinion that the only poets alive today (and melody) are from the East, including Russia, and the best languages to convey poetry (to my ear) is Arabic, Persian, and Urdu. But, Muhammad Rafi brought through his God-gifted voice (and all those who wrote the lyrics and composed the melody) the best of this Eastern heritage even in Hindi religious songs. The things I retained from Hindustani music and songs are RESPECT, LOVE, and HUMANITY, which I find almost completely absent in French, Russian, English, and other cultures.
In many respects Muhammad Rafi cannot be compared to any other male singer whether in the East or in the West. He is unique although he has also sung hundreds of songs where his voice was not pleasant to hear and the music almost unbearable to my ears. The one thing I regret though is that I have never come across any of his performance where he would read/sing in his uniquely melodious voice the Hindu and Muslim Holy Scriptures.
Today’s Indian music and songs are unfortunately more of a vulgar, obscene, blasphemous and absolutely anti-Hindustani and anti-family type, but we still have perverts (the Khan Mafia) to promote racist (exclusively anti-Muslim and anti-Arab) drug and sex driven films masqueraded as Hindustani (“Bollywood”!) films. All respectable Hindustani culture is dead!
Ghyslaine ROC
Thursday 27th of December 2007
December 11th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Mai wajid aur mera judwa bhai majid rafi sahab ki awaz ke bahot bade kadardan hai, hame unka max collection chahiye
Rafi sahab ke songs 1994-95 tak aye the, kya 1985 se 1994 tak ke songs kisi k paas available hai to plz contact kare jisme se kuch filmein release ho gaye kuch songs hi release ho paye
my id
wajid_shaikh@rediffmail.com
contact no. wajid 09325611721
majid 09270821612
PUNE
December 6th, 2007 at 8:29 am
I wanted to tell that all 3 legend singers Mohdrafi, Mukesh & Kishoreda sang all the actors like Dilip Kumar, Devanand, jeetendra, Rajendra Kumar, Sanjeev kumar & other actors. But i want to say another thing is that this 3 singers are came in one film along in the names of the films i will give u now: Maryada, Amar Akbar Anthony, Chupke Chupke also.
I want to tell this also Rafisahab sang to Mithun also. He sang “Deva to Deva Ganpati Deva” and also sang the Saibaba song “Sainath Bholo” with Usha Mangeshkar, Anup Jalota & others, the actors which i know is Manoj Kumar, Madan Puri along with Anuradha Paudwal who sang with them (Rafisahab). So i tell u also that rafisahab sang with Shailendra Singh, Amit Kumar, Balbir Singh, Rajendra Mehtra also. So, rafisahab sang along with all the singers whether new/old. He was a genius. for the 35-40 yrs of his career he made a record in the film industry where no other playback singer will do for the present one.
shashank_72@rediffmail.com
December 5th, 2007 at 1:28 am
Does anyone know which film this song is from, ‘kyun chamke, bol kuch bol ras ghol goriye, tere mathe ki bindiya’ it is a duet with female singer, and i feel it might be from a 70’s film
December 5th, 2007 at 1:24 am
the song naino wali tere naina jadoo gar gaye is from Beti bete, it’s picturised on Sunil Dutt
December 4th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Could anyone please let me know the Name of the Film for which the song of Rafi Saab is — Nainowali tere naina jagoo kar gaye
I shall be obliged
Thanks & best Regards
S. Aftab Ahmed
November 21st, 2007 at 10:36 am
I write this in response to Mr Ramesh Desai’s post. The objective of our site mohdrafi.com is never to belittle or show other singer in lesser light. Rafi Saab loved and respected all whom he was associated with and had no reservations or qualms about working with anyone, new or old, male or female, established banner or new producer, top star or unknown artist, hero, comedian or charecter artist.
The only point which perhaps wanted to be conveyed was that the variation, range and modulation which Rafi Saab’s versatile voice could command, prompted music directors to playback him for maximum songs on stars as well as non stars of his time, with exceptions like Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, Dev Anand, and Amitabh Bachhan. who wanted to create a different image by using the resonance and soulful renderations of either Kishoreji or Mukesh Saab.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
I am a Rafi fan and admire him. He was great. But why the attempts to show
other great singers in lesser light. For your argument is wrong to start with.
Mukesh was Dilipkumar’s voice before he became RK’s voice or for that matter before Rafi or Talat were used for Dilipkumar. Andaz, Mela, Yahudi,
Madhumati are glaring examples of some of the best song picturised on DK.
If you do your reaserch you will find plenty of songs of Mukesh for unknown
singers as well as heros other than RK or Manoj. Likewise other singers.
My point is there is no need for such comparison to prove Rafi was great. He was and so were the other legends.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I would like to add the songs of “Bhabi”, wher Jagdeep and other un known actors moved their lips of screen.
November 19th, 2007 at 12:07 pm
muje rafi ke songs bhut best lagte hai aisa lagta hai gese rafi abi be hamre bich ho
November 17th, 2007 at 8:11 am
anmol ji…
good work and research…pl. keep it up.
yesterday i was watching rafi saabs songs on vcd…
the songs sung on screen by shashi kapoor, dilip kumar, jeetendra
from various films have one common aspect and that’s the sound
modulation.
it’s different voices/style for each actor. in dosti, rafi saab sang
for new artists whose names are forgotten.
it is said rafi saab wanted to see the new actors and they were called
in. rafi saab saw them for a few minutes only. and went ahead to
produce some of the best numbers for these ‘actors’.
this is the ‘genious’ at work whose magic never does ‘fail’.
binu nair…. ///the rafi foundation…/// mumbai// binus2000@hotmail.com
November 17th, 2007 at 6:41 am
Don’t forget the jazzy and trend! “Jan pehchan ho jeene asan ho” from
GUMNAAM rendered with such great vibrancy by Rafisaab that it rubbed on
an unknown actor to make it a big online hit 40 years later!
Watch http://youtube.com/watch?v=FyEnG_DEB1I
November 15th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
DEAR RAFI FANS
I AM ADDING SOME SONGS SUNG BY RAFI SAHAB FOR UNKNOWN
ARTISTES :
1) BRINDAVAN KA KRISHNA KANHAIYA SAB KI AANKHON KA TARA…
FILM: MISS MARY;
2) YE CHAND TO MRIDANG HAI ….FILM: SHREE KRISHNA ARJUN YUDH;
3) PYARA LAGE … FILM : HAVARI ;
4) KAL MERI TARAH MUJH KO SALAM AAP KARENGE..FILM: MERE GHARIB
NAWAZ;
5) MERA SALAM LE LO ….. FILM : MERA SALAM;
6) JO ZUBAN-E-DIL NA SAMAJH SAKE….FILM : PATHARON KA SHAHER;
7) KAISE SHAM SUHANI AAYI HAI… FILM : PASAND APNI APNI
8) KAISI MEHFIL HAI YE, KAISA MELA HAI YE… FILM : EK MAUSAM CHOTA
SA / RE-TITLED : ASHIANA ;
9) O GORI …RAM KARE TERA MILAN…. FILM : INSAAN AUR INSAAN ;
10) AAO SIKHADOON TUMHE KHAT LIKHNA … FILM: DIMPLE .
REGARDS/A.T.M. SALIM.
November 15th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
With reference to Post 27.
The following are the filmfare nomination statistics for KK’s entire career span.
Nomi Song Actor
1969 |Roop Tera Mastana |Rajesh K
1971 |Zindagi Ek Safar |Rajesh K
1971 |Yeh Jo Mohabbat |Rajesh K
1972 |Chingari Koi |Rajesh K
1973 |Mere Dil Mein Aaj |Rajesh K
1974 |Mera Jeevan |Background
1974 |Gaadi Bula Rahi Hai |Abhi Bhattacharya
1975 |Dil Aisa Kisi |Uttam Kumar
1975 |Mein Pyasaa |Amitabh B
1975 |O Manjhi Re |Jitendra
1977 |Aap Ke Anurodh |Rajesh K
1978 |Khaike Paan |Amitabh B
1978 |O Saathi Re |Amitabh B
1978 |Hum Bewafa Harghiz |Dharmendra
1979 |Ek Rashta Hai |Shashi K
1980 |Hazar Rahen |Rajesh K
1980 |Om Shanthi Om |Rishi K
1981 |Hame Tumse Pyar |Rajesh K
1981 |Choo Kar Mere Mann |Amitabh B
1982 |Pag Ghogroo Mira |Amitabh B
1983 |Agar Tum Na Hote |Rajesh K
1983 |Shayad Meri Shaadi |Rajesh K
1984 |Manzilem Apne |Amitabh B
1984 |Shayad Meri Shaadi |Amitabh B
1984 |Inteh Ho Gayi |Amitabh B
1984 |Log Kehete Hai Main |Amitabh B
1985 |Sagar Kinare |Rishi K
Note: Dev Anand claims that KK is his voice, but surprisingly there is no single nomination in the above listing. KK has sung incredible songs for Dev Anand, but if some one sees the picturization Dev performance in the 70s doesn’t look upto the mark compared to the 50s & 60s. Possibly this could have acted as a disadvantage to KK’s work. Just an opinion.
November 15th, 2007 at 11:36 am
Suhani raat dhal chuki….Suresh
Tum to pyar ho
Taqdeer ka fasana….Both songs picturised on Prashant
Zindabad zindabad ae mohabbat zindabad….Kumar
Apni ankhon mein basa kar….Baldev Khosa
Unke khayal aaye to aate chale gae…G.M.Durrani ( Himself a great singer )
Zindagi aaj mere naam se sharmati hai….Kanwaljeet (Waheeda Rehman’s husband )
November 14th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
Dear Anmolji, vikas sharmaji & Ms.Ruhi Khanji,
Magnificent article by anmolji. Here I would like to add that not only unknown actors but also to unknown music directors, lyricists, comperers and what else? All the above are really blessed to have Rafi Saab in their midst.
Vikasji: Although comparisons are futile, one should always consider the merits of the case and prove a point wherever possible and this possiblity is there only in the case of our Rafi Saab. When you say don’t compare Rafi saab with Kishoreda, you should have suffixed it with “Rafi Saab is Incomparable”. This is a unanimous opinion. One can compare Kishoreda, Mannadey, Mukeshji etc. etc. with each other and draw to a conclusion. But our Rafi Saab is the Don Bradman of Music wherein others are not even halfway.
Ruhiji : Totally agree with you for Rafi Saab can blend effortlessly with Rich and the poor, old and new, Hero and villain, black and white, Gold and Bronze, Iron and cotton and so on. He is universal. Keep it up.
November 14th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
To all the Rafi fans,
Thanks for the compliments.
Adding two more songs on unknown artists.
Ramaya Vasta Vaya - Shree 420
Koun Kisi Ko Bhand Sakaa - Kaalia
November 14th, 2007 at 11:56 am
it also shows some thing different.
he was for all seasons,for poor,rich.any one in industry without his reputation can utilize him.no can match here also with him.
aye muhabbat zindabad picturized on moti lal
November 14th, 2007 at 9:16 am
Hussain Sheikh Saab,
“Dil Hai Hamara Phool Se Nazukh, Bazoo Hai Faulad, Toofanon Mein Palne Wale Rehtein Hain Azaad” from Film:Faulad(1963), MD:G.S.Kohli. A great song indeed.
Thanks for reminding me of it.
Venkat
November 14th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Rafiji also sang two wonderful songs for Dara Singh in AAYA TOOFAN - “Abhi Kamsin Ho” and “Zindagi Me Aaya Toofan”.
November 14th, 2007 at 7:26 am
Further to my post 24, taking the stats provided by Anmol ji to be true, one thing comes to my mind. With vast majority of Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh’s song sung by Kishore da (Two of the most popular actors in the past 40 years), was Kishoreda’s voice a co incidence or was he instruemental in these super star/mega star’s success. There is another question, did Kishore da gain with the popularity of these stars.
I remember, Amitabh’s initial successes came in the movies where he had no song, eg Zanjeer, Deewar. Just an observation.
November 13th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
For “faulad” song, ple mail me. rafimagic@gmail.com