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

There are many films where the Music Directors or the Heroes have used Singers other than Rafi. There are also movies where Rafi has sung just one song in the movie and the other songs are sung by some other Singers. What was the reason for the MDs / Heroes choosing Rafi for the particular song. Is it because of some superstition that Rafi Saab has to sing at-least one song in their movie or is it because they thought, perhaps rightly so, that the particular song can be sung only by Rafi.

Every one knows that in KARZ music by LP, all the songs were sung by KK where as the best song of the movie “Darde Dil” was entrusted to Rafi. If you listen to this song, you can make out that no body else could have done justice to this wonderful song. Similarly, all the songs of GAMBLER, music by SDB were sung by KK except “Mera Man Tera Pyaasa”, which except Rafi no body else could have sung so melodiously. EK BAAR MUSKURADO of OP had KK for Deb Mukherjee, but Rafi had to come in for “Zamane Ki Aankhon Ne” as it was a high pitch song. KK sang all the songs of MAHAL for Dev Anand except the qawali, “Toone Soorat Chupayee” which only Rafi could do justice. B.R.Chopra’s WAQT had one Rafi gem in the form of title song – “Waqt Se Din Aur Raat”, all other songs were sung by Mahendra Kapor and one by Mannadey. Manoj Kumar’s KRAANTI had one Rafi duet “Mera Chana Hai Apni Marzi Ka”, perhaps due to the fact it had to be filmed on Dilip Kumar, but let us not forget that the song was very ordinary in the beginning but picks up tempo only after Rafi’s entry along with Nitin Mukesh.

Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar

SANGAM had Mukesh but Rafi had to come in for “Prem Patra” partly because the song was on Rajendra Kumar, but of course let us not forget that the other song on Rajendra was sung by Mahendra, “Har Dil Jo Pyaar Karega”. The drama song of MERA NAAM JOKER was a difficult song which Rafi sang instead of Mukesh or Mannadey. Who could have sung “Ramiah Vastavayya” in SHREE 420 except Rafi. Even BARSAAT had Rafi singing “Mai Zindagi Me Hardam”. EK DIL SAU AFSANE had Rafi singing the Lata duet for Raj Kapoor – “Tumhi Tum Ho Mere Jeevan Me”, but all other songs were from Mukesh. Similarly Ravi’s NAZRANA had Rafi singing for Raj Kapoor “Baazi Kisine” though other songs were sung by Mukesh.

Mohd Rafi with Shankar, Raj Kapoor and Jaikishen

GOPI had Rafi singing “Sukhake Sab Saathi” the other songs were by Mahendra. Similarly “Na Tu Zamin Ke Liye” in DASTAAN. In NASEEB, the Singers were all new-comers but for the best and the top hit song “John Jaani Janardhan”, it had to be Rafi for Amitabh. Salil Chaudhury had Mukesh as his main Singer both in MADHUMATI as well as in POONAM KI RAAT. But when it came to “Toote Huye Khabon Ne” and “Dil Tadape Tadapaye”, he chose Rafi instead. KA had KK in HAATH KI SAFAI, but when it came to the beautiful Lata duet “Wada Karale Sajana”, it was Rafi. It seems Vinod Khanna on whom this song was picturised was not happy with this song initially, but Director Prakash Mehra convinced VK that the song will become a hit, how true he was. Amjad Khan sang “Logon Ka Dil” on screen in YAARANA in Rafi’s voice where as all other songs were by KK for AB. Rajesh Khanna had KK in SACHCHA ZHOOTA but for the wonderful Lata duet “Yunhi Tum Muzhase Baat”, who else but Rafi. The same case in HAATHI MERA SAATHI, Rafi had to sing “Nafarat Ki Duniya Ko” as the song was high pitched as well as very meaningful, where the Singer had to sing putting emotion in all the lines. Another example is the title song of PATHAR KE SANAM. Atma Ram’s UMANG had all songs by KK but for “Babul Kaun Ghadi Ye Aayi”, Rafi had to take the mike and it is such a wonderful song about daughter’s Bidaai. Mahendra was the main Singer for all songs of UPKAAR but Rafi had to sing “Yeh Kaali Yeh Kaali Raat Kaali”.

Mohd Rafi

To top it all, KK sang all his songs for RAAGINI except “Man Mora Bawara”, the reason, it was slightly classical and OP felt that only Rafi could sing this song, the same case in SHARARAT “Ajab Hai Daastan” music by SJ. Let us salute KK that he sportingly agreed to lip sync Rafi’s songs. Perhaps, who knows, KK himself must have been immensely satisfied to have got a chance to act for Rafi’s songs on screen.

In fact, there was a time, I used to go to movies to just listen even one song of Rafi. A case in point was “Apni Aankhon Me Basakar” from THOKAR picturised on Baldev Khosla. I hardly remember any thing of the movie except this song.

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