This article is by Rajiv Vijayakar. Taken from SCREEN Aug. 4th. 2006.

RISHI KAPOOR

In the Shailendra-Kishore wave for heartthrob Rishi Kapoor, shrewd observers were already feeling a lacuna that only Rafi could fill – instinctively, they seemed to feel that Rafi, rather than both these singers, would suit Rishi Kapoor. But who would bell this musical cat?

The onus thus fell on Madan Mohan when Laxmikant-Pyarelal went out of H.S.Rawail’s Laila Majnu. The heavyweight Punjabi music with Sahir’s poetry was unthinkable then without Rafi’s skills, and the score emerged as Madan Mohan’s last burst of glory despite Jaidev having to come in to complete it when Madan Mohan passed away.

And then the floodgates opened,never to close till Rafi’s death. Rishi Kapoor, easily among our most musical stars, and Rafi seemed to share a rare and royal rapport and resonance as film after film and song after song were unleashed by multiple music directors, including the Kishore-oriented Pancham.

In the cavalcade of dazzlers they collaborated on, with Rishi’s on-screen expertise matching Rafi’s peerless craft, the truly standout ones included awesome songs like the complete score of Sargam (led by Dafliwale …), ‘Parda hai parda …’, ‘Shirdiwale Sai BabaTaiyab Ali pyar ka dushmun …’ (Amar Akbar Anthony), ‘Hai agar dushmunPoocho na yaar kya hua …’(Zamaane Ko Dikhaana Hai) and Rafi’s last stunner released in his lifetime ‘Dard-e-dil (Karz). These were backed up by other hits as well as excellent but less-popular songs in films like Naseeb, Deedaar-E-Yaar, Badaltey Rishtey, Do Premee, Duniya Mein Jeb Mein, Aap Ke Deewane and Kaatilon Ke Kaatil. …’ and ‘ …’(Hum Kisise Kum Naheen), ‘

Rafi-Rishi Kapoor composers: Madan Mohan, Jaidev, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, R.D.Burman, Rajesh Roshan.

AMITABH BACHCHAN

Amitabh Bachchan’s music began with Mohammed Rafi with the songs ‘Ek pate ki baat sunaaoon …’ and ‘Koi aur duniya mein tumsa haseen hai …’(Pyar Ki Kahani) as the first two songs ever lip-synched on the iconic star.

Bachchan’s subsequent innings were also studded with Rafi memorabilia, like the classic ‘Teri bindiya re …’ from his home-production Abhimaan and ‘Patta patta boota boota …’ (Ek Nazar, his first film with future wife Jaya Bhaduri as co-star).

Oddly enough, most of Rafi’s later songs for Amitabh Bachchan were either duets (Benaam, Adalat, Suhaag, Mr Natwarlal) or multi-singer songs (Kasme Vaade, Suhaag, Naseeb). But there were solos too, like ‘Mere dost qissa yeh kya ho gaya…’(Dostana) and ‘Mere desh premiyon…’ (Desh Premee) and above all the cult Naseeb song ‘John Jani Janardhan…’ in which Bachchan danced in front of the Who’s Who among stars in a ‘film party’ sequence.

And Rafi himself was a major fan of the star. When it was time to record their duet, ‘Chal mere bhai…’(Naseeb) in which Bachchan sang his own lines while Rafi sang for Rishi Kapoor, the singer became as excited as a child!

Rafi-Amitabh composers: Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, R.D.Burman, S.D.Burman, Rajesh Roshan, Vijay Raghav Rao, Madan Mohan.

KISHORE KUMAR

This was perhaps’s Rafi’s ultimate achievement – actually singing for his great colleague and singer Kishore Kumar himself. It was also the supreme mark of respect that Kishore had for Rafi that he approved of this on the basis of the needs of the two sterling compositions, the pathos-filled ‘Ajab hai dastaan teri…’ from Shararat and the classical ‘Man mora baanwra…’ from Ragini under S-J and O.P.Nayyar respectively. Perhaps it would be apt here to also mention the standout duets and multi-singer songs they sang too – from ‘Chal shuru ho jaa…’(Humjoli) to ‘Chana zor garam…’(Kranti) with the title-song of Yaadon Ki Baaraat, ‘Chal kahin door nikal jaaye…’(Doosara Aadmi), ‘Salaamat rahe dostana hamara…’(Dostana), ‘Ek rastaa do raahi…’(Ram Balram) and many others in films like Naseeb, Waqt Ki Deewar, Neeyat, Raampur Ka Lakshman, Aap Ke Deewane, Chupke Chupke, Kasme Vaade, Amar Akbar Anthony, Parvarish, Zakhmee and Jungal Mein Mangal.

Rafi-Kishore composers: Shankar Jaikishan, O.P.Nayyar (for playback), Rafi-Kishore together: Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji, R.D.Burman, S.D.Burman, Shankar Jaikishan, Rajesh Roshan, Bappi Lahiri, Madan Mohan.

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