You're browsing: Home / Meri awaaz suno / Remembering Rafisahab on his birth anniversary

Remembering Rafisahab on his birth anniversary

By Souvik Chatterji

Music lovers all across the world remember, the unforgettable musical maestro Mohd Rafi, on his birth anniversary on 24th December, 2016. He had died in 1980 and 28 years passed after his death. Yet he had created an everlasting appeal during his 35 years illustrious career which has not faded away at all.

Whenever his reference comes music-lovers imagine about “do sitaron ka zameen par hai milan” composed by Naushad, “main gaoon tum so jao” composed by Shankar Jaikishan, “ab kya misaal doon” composed by Roshan, “chaudavi ka chaand” composed by Ravi, “mai zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya” composed by Jaidev, “janewalo zara” composed by Laxmikant Pyarelal, “pukarta chala hoon mai” composed by OP Nayyar, “teri aankhon ke siva” composed by Madanmohan, to name a few.

Very significantly he was associated with all the leading actors of bollywood industry in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s, which starts with Bharat Bhushan, Pradeep Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Rajender Kumar, Raj Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee, Biswajeet, Guru Dutt, Balraj Sahni and extends upto Big B, Rishi Kapoor, Sanjeev Kumar, etc. Even comedians like Johnny Walker, Mehmood, Rajendra Nath were indebted to the maestro for his modification of the voice in favour of them which entertained the audience to a big extent.

Rafi Sahab had raised us from sleep, he had made us sleep too. Almost all emotions of human beings are captured in the songs of Rafi Sahab. Listeners hear Rafi’s songs to keep away from stress and strain. What is important at this point is to revisit his songs and help the new generation to hear his songs. A huge number of the Rafi lovers themselves had heard around 10000 songs and still require to hear his private albums, bhajans, ghazals, etc.

Rafi Sahab has sung 26,000 songs in 35 years and that covered the creations and compositions of the most talented composers and lyricists of India. Hardly any singer can be compared or equated with the giant singer. Audience of the modern generation is more used to hear fast numbers due to the trend of music available at this moment. If Rafi’s songs are prioritized in the media, the taste of melodious music can be revived, because Rafi had taken music to a higher dimension. Rafi had not been substituted. The sweetness of voice that God had given him was unparalleled.

17th September is remembered as the death anniversary of eminent poet Hasrat Jaipuri. 15th April is celebrated as the birth anniversary of great poet and lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri. Renowned poet and lyricist Hasrat Jaipuri was born on 15th April, 1922 as Iqbal Hussain. In 1940, Hasrat Jaipuri came from Jaipur to Mumbai. Prithviraj Kapoor heard him in a mushaira and recommended him to Raj Kapoor when he was making the film Barsaat.

The epic combination of Hasrat Jaipuri and Shankar Jaikishan started from Barsaat. The first 2 songs written by him became super hit namely “jiya beqarar hai” and “chor gaye balam”. The pen of Hasrat Jaipuri glorified RK Films and other bollywood films for the next 30 years.

Rafi Sahab, SJ and Hasrat Jaipuri was an equally brilliant combination like Shailendra, SJ and Rafi Sahab. Hasrat’s song sung by Rafi titled “teri teri pyari pyari surat ko” in Rajender Kumar’s film Sasural became super hit. In Shammi Kapoor’s Junglee almost all the songs sung by Rafi Sahab became immortal hits. In that list, Hasrat’s song “ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar” touched the souls of music lovers all across India. The song was sung by Rafi Sahab and Lataji and both the versions were very melodious.

Hasrat’s lyrics for Rafi “tum mujhe yu bhula na paoge” became super hit in the late 60s. It was composed by SJ for Shammi Kapoor in the film Pagla Kahin Ka. Hasrat’s song “ajahu na aye balma” in the film Sanjh Aur Sawera was a sensational song. Rafi exhibited his classical andaz and tune of Shankar Jaikishan was excellent by every musical yardstick. Hasrat Jaipuri received the filmfare award for the best lyricist for Rafi’s song “baharon phool barsao” in Rajender Kumar’s film Suraj.

Rafi’s other songs written by Hasrat Jaipuri and composed by SJ included “unke khayal aye to” in Raj Kumar’s Lal Patthar, “badan pe sitare lapete hue” in Shammi Kapoor’s Prince, “awaaz deke hume tum bulao” in Shammi Kapoor’s Professor, “aji rooth kar ab” in Rajender Kumar’s Aarzoo, “dekha hai teri aankho mein pyar hi pyar beshumar” in Dharmendra’s Pyar Hi Pyar, “dhire dhire chal chand gagan me” in Dev Anand’s Love Marriage, “rukh se zara naqab utha lo” in Jitender’s Mere Huzoor, “teri zulfon ne judaai to nahin maangi thi” in Dev Anand’s Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai, “kaun hai jo sapno mein aaya” in Rajender Kumar’s Jhuk Gaya Aasman, etc.

Hasrat Jaipuri contributed in Raj Kapoor’s blockbusters like Awaara, Shree 420, Jis Desh Me Ganga Behti Hai, Sangam, etc, Rajender Kumar’s blockbusters like Ayee Milan Ki Bela, Dil Ek Mandir, Humrahi, Sasural, Zindagi, etc, Shammi Kapoor’s hit films Janwar, Bhramchari, Raj Kumar, Andaz, etc., Joy Mukherjee’s Love In Tokyo, Biswajit’s April Fool, Uttam Kumar’s Choti Si Mulakat, to name a few.

Raj Kapoor’s greatest hit film in his illustrious career remained Sangam. In the film Hasrat Jaipuri’s words “yeh mera prempatra par kar” sung by Rafi and picturised on Rajender Kumar had remained immortal. Hasrat Jaipuri wrote it for a girl named Radha. Raj Kapoor kept the name of Vaijayantimala Radha in the film Sangam. Rafi’s voice at the end of the film brought tears in the minds of the audience with the words “kitum nazaar na hona” when Raj Kapoor and Vyjayanthimala immersed the ashes of Rajender Kumar in Prayag Sangam at the end of the film.

Hasrat Jaipuri died in 1999. One article is too small to highlight the works of the legends Hasrat Jaipuri, SJ and Rafi. In fact Hasrat Jaipuri worked with other composers of the golden age as well. But the songs written by Hasrat Jaipuri for Rafi Sahab which were composed by Shankar Jaikishan still stand out as the most romantic masterpieces in the history of bollywood cinema.

The media can devote separate programs on Rafi’s association with Naushad, Shankar Jaikishan, Roshan, Khayyam, Madanmohan, Ghulam Mohammad, OP Nayyar, etc., and also his association with giants lyricists like Shakeel Badayuni, Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Kaifi Azmi, etc. The landmark musical blockbusters like Taj Mahal, Jahanara, Baiju Bawra, Mere Sanam, Kohinoor, etc., are required to be shown in the popular channels and scanned. Any research on Rafi can only enlighten the listeners about rich music of different class including Hindustani classical, bhajans, ghazals, westernized songs, folk songs, etc. We all pay are best tribute to noble soul Mohammad Rafi.

Proclaim your love for Rafi Sahab on twitter

Post your Comment on this Blog

If your comments hit the moderation queue, comments will be moderated within 7 days.

9 Blog Comments to “Remembering Rafisahab on his birth anniversary”

  1. shammi says:

    Souvik ji, it is nice that the great legend is remembered especially on his anniversary. However, many fans like myself remember him on a daily basis and will continue to do so until the day comes that they are no longer on this earth. But what an incredible achievement for Mohd Rafi that 35 years after his death that he is remembered with so much love and fondness, in all honesty how many people have been able to instil that amount of love from their fans. All this love is in abundance and yet the Bharat Ratna has not been bestowed on him. I don’t really want to go into detail about my feelings on this but when Rishi Kapoor wrote somethong along the lines of trying to buy a Filmfare award at the beginning of his career, I think it gave most people an insight onto who gets the awards and how they are decided. Obviously this makes sense to why the legend of all legends Mohd Rafi hasn’t been given one despite being more worthy than most.

  2. Zafar Ahmad says:

    Rafian’s, you will be glad to hear this that Rafi sb. is getting more vote to any singer of the world. So, please donot forget to cast the vote to rafi sb. We can cast vote after every hour in a day.

  3. Vakil says:

    Another point souvik ji –

    a small correction in your post on Jan, 4 2017. Period of 40’s to 70’s was zenith of Hindi film music and not Indian Music. Rafi ji was among the top in Hindi film music. Indian music has many forms such as classical and other forms of music. Even other regional films industries also were at their peak in this period, mainly the telugu and tamil industries in the south. This period also saw very great classical musicians across the country and they are obviously in a different grade.

  4. Vakil says:

    Souvik Ji

    The count of 26000 songs is bit awry and is not correct. Research has put rafi ji’s songs around 6000. Even if we go by the count of all hindi films released from 1940’s to 1980’s and keeping an average of 4 songs per film for rafi ji the number of 26000 songs seems highly impossible. Anyhow the count does not matter, the quality of rafi ji’s songs is quite significant. Many of the songs would have been lost or not released, for which no count can be given. Technological equipments were less in those days and much important information and association with various music directors and other legends etc. might also be not available.

  5. Dr Souvik Chatterji says:

    Thanks Nambiathji,
    what is interesting is that Rafisahab’s period from the mid-1940s to early 1970s, was the zenith of Indian music. Composers like Naushad Ali, Shankar Jaikishan, Roshan, Madanmohan, OP Nayyar will never be born again. Lyricists like Sahir Ludhiyanvi, Shakeel Badayani, Hasrat Jaipuri, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Shailendra were geniuses. Rafisahab gave adequate expression to these musical giants.

  6. Sujit Kumar Sharan says:

    I remember RAFI SAAB in his birth anniversary. However, He is only person in whole universe whom I remember every day without exception. my daily routine can not completed without listening at least one song of greatest rafi saab..

  7. SNambiath says:

    Very detailed synopsis of a Giant and a Legend, Souvikji! Even his contemporaries and later singers who openly worship him as their Guru – all extraordinary Playback Singers themselves – have heaped praise on Rafi Saab. Be it Kishore Kumar, Manna Da, Mahendra Kapoor, Mohd Aziz, Sonu Nigam, etc., from the North and Ghantsala, PB Sreenivas, K J Yesudas, S P Balasubramanium, Jayachandran, etc., from the South!

    Even today, his songs are sung at every Reality Show!!!

  8. Dr Souvik Chatterji says:

    Dear Aliji, Merry Christmas and happy new year. Rafisahab had helped in healing wounds and treating ailments. When we listen to his songs we find peace in mind. The Farishta had enriched our souls and will remain in our hearts forever. Salam to the noble soul.

  9. Ali says:

    Pick up any name with Mohd Rafi you can make a program ,God made one Sun and one Mohd Rafi for our earth

Post your Comment on Facebook





Receive updates in your inbox. Enter your email address:





Other Writeups


Social Collaboration