Rafi Saab is my inspiraton
This article is by Mr. Sunil Handa.
I have been great fan of Rafi saab since childhood. I considered him to be the greatest playback singer of indian film industry. Even after 25 years since Rafi saab passed way, he is still the King of Plaback Singing for me. My day is not complete until I listen to Rafi saab’s songs, whether I am driving my car, or at home, or at office, Rafi saabs songs are always with me.
I get so much pleasure form listening to Rafi saab’s songs especially sad songs that I can listen to them for ever and never get tired. When I listen to Rafi saab’s songs I just imagine in my mind how Rafi saab must have sung this song or that song. I get so deeply involved while listening Rafi saab’s songs, that I just foget all my problems that I have in my life. Nobody has the versitality and range that Rafi saab had, be it bhajans, qawalli, sad song, fast song, slow song, comedy song, desh bhakti song love songs, his duets. For instance his songs in Pyasa (Yeh Duniya Agar Mil be Jay to Kya Hai…), Kagaz ke Phool (Dekhi Zamane ki Yari), CID (Ankho hi Ankho Main Ishara..), (Baiju Bawra (O Dniya Ke Rakhwale…), his bhajans like in Gopi (Sukh ke Sab Sathi, Dukh Mai Na Koi…), Baiju Bawra (Man Tarat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj…), love songs, like Suraj (Baharon Phool Barsayo…), his duets with Lata Mangeshkar, Songs that he sang for O.P. Nayyar, Shanker Jaikishan, S.D. Burman like (Tere Mare Sapne… Din Dhal Jaye.. from Guide, desh bhakti songs like Ab Tumahre Hawale Sathiyo, from Haqquiet, the songs he sang for Shammi Kapoor, nobody but Rafi saab could have sung all those songs. There was no one, there is no one and there cannot be anyone like him ever in future also.
But what makes me very sad and angry is that in todays world not enough credit and respect is given to him. Even people who have worked with like for example. O.P. Nayyar, in all his interviews, he only mentions as to how Asha Bhosle sang for him etc., but he neven mentions, the voice who made his music work. i.e. Rafi saab’s voice, if it were not for Rafi saab’s great voice, O.P. Nayyar couldn’t have given so may hit songs. Only Rafi saab’s voice made his music work. And even all the Music channels especially on FM Radio are just biased towards Kishore Kumar and R.D. Burman (who was also a great singer in his own right, but not like Rafi saab, who was above all.) They will always praise Kishore Kumar, celebrate is birthday on Radio, and they just ignore Rafi saab as if he never existed, this makes me feel very bad.
I have so much to say about the greatness of Rafi saab that don’t have the words to express my feelings, his voice is what makes me keep on going in life despite of al the problems I have (I have a muscular degenerative disease because of which I cannot walk). Rafi saabs voice is my inspiraton in my life, after listening to his soulful voice, I forgot all my problems.
In the end one song of rafi saab comes to my mind
Tum Mujhe Yu Bhula Na Payoge
Jab Kabhi Bhi Sunoge Get Mere
Sang Sang Tum Bhi Gungunaoge….
And truly we will remember Rafi saab till the world exists.
Sunil Handa
re: post 21…
i think talat mehmood said on rafi’s demise: oh god, u ought to
have take me and left rafi saaheb on the earth;
we all love talat saaheb for his lovely songs, for his great personal-
ity and for his great contributions to the music world.
binu nair….rafi foundation…..
When Rafi sab expired there was a historic quote from a fan in Calcutta “GOD TAKE ME GIVE BACK RAFI”. Rafi sab is eternal…….
hi mr. sunil,
like you i am also a great music lover of Md.
rafi, but as time passes away it is fortunate or unfortunate that I for one feel the the identiy /esteem/character and other geneuine things in life of an individual shall sustain even if times fades away is his true treasure. Accepting the reality rafi sab lost his ground in 70’s and he could not regain the ascendency he has powered thereafter. It was right to tell that, any thing and every thing in life is shot lived and to live live long he/she should be overttly blessed by that supreme one. May be what rafi sab has achiveved in his days only remains and his memory thereafter is diminishing unlike other contemporiries of his times. only souls like you and me remind him and after oiur genere this may further slip is extinct.
It is a proven fact that there is no one like Mhd. Rafi who can enhance a song ten fold. Rafi,s voice is like “parasmani” which turns an ordinary composition to gold.
Now-a-days film music is reduced to a plastic art. These annu mallick’s, himesh reshamyya’s, and many other craps needs a good bashing because it is an assault to our ears to hear their disgusting tunes …….hindi songs never stooped to such lows.
hi rafians ,,,
javed from sindh PAKISTAN .
Rafi sahab ne meri local leng; sindhi mein 8 geet gaye hean aor kiya khuob gaye hean. usmean sofiana kalam bhi hay, clasical aur faock bhi unhoney sindhi lehije ko bari khobsurti se gaya hay.
No one can forget the great Rafi Saheb, his songs…….
Dear all
It is hard for me to believe that Rafi Saab was neglected in the seventies by many music directors .How could the neglect him for mediocre
singers like kk and mukesh .It clearly shows that film industry does not rely on talent alone it requires a good deal of politics which was simply not the cup
of tea for very humble Rafi. Rafi truly meant it when he sang
MUJKO MERE BAAD JAMAANA DHUNDEGA
dear sunil ji ur very right 100% rafi saab is really king , when i listen to his songs it gives lot relax to mind special he had sung a song a bagaht singh about a nation its really super , its good to see people stil love the king and love his song
regards
john
Sanjeev Kohli,eldest son of late musician Madan Mohan says:
On 30th July, 1980, the day before he passed away, I spent 5-6 hrs at Rafi Saheb’s residence for a photo shoot. Whenever we asked him to pose with the harmonium for a photograph, he would play and sing the song “tumhari zulf key saaye mein†from Naunihal and keep telling me that this was his favourite and why it was such a brilliant composition. It was my first encounter at being told by somebody I worshipped, that my father was way above the others. He also told me that MM had given him a new lease of life with Laila Majnu.
-from the web
Hello Sunil,
One should not be bothered if KK songs are played more on FM or there are more number of programmes on KK in various news channels. There is a theory that quality is always less. The world is full of blind followers. We need not waste our time and energy into these small small things.
TO
PRESIDENT OF INDIA
NEW DELHI
THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE LIKES OF LATA AND ASHA ARE RECIEVING MUCH AS OFFCOURSE THEY DESERVE. BUT GOD HAS TAKEN AWAY RAFI SAHAB 26 YRS BEFORE. THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE SHOULD FORGET HIM. HE IS GREATEST EVER HUMAN BEING INDIA EVER PRODUCED. HE SHOULD BE HONOURED BY THE GREATEST INDIAN AWARD ‘Bharat Ratna’.
i agree that Naushad sahab,Madan Mohan,OP,LP,Roshan… are far greater music directors than RD burman(with due respect to RD). but this Himesh reshamiya generation is listening and watching the things these days which will take them only to nowhere. Today radios and Tvs are only showing Rhythemic music. I am challenging those Faltu DJs and RJs that they should show OLD music od music directors mention above.
Again I am remiding evry indian to suport me to my campaign to honour Rafi sahab with Bharat Ratna.
Jai Rafi Sahab
Dear Rafians,
THE HINDI FILM SONGS STARTS WITH RAFI SAB N ENDS WITH HIM ATLEAST FOR THE VINTAGE LOVERS LIKE ME AND INNUMERABLE FANS.
WE TOGETHER CAN MAKE A STRONG TEAM TO CONVINCE THE SO CALLED CHANNELS.
RAFI GROUP FROM MUMBAI G.M.ANSARI WITH HIS TEAM DID THE RIGHT THING AND NOW SAHARA NEWS, AAJTAK AND CHANNEL7 ALONG WITH ZEE NEWS TELECASTED THE 31ST JULY DATE AS MEMORY OF THE GREATEST LEGEND LOVED BY ALL MUSIC LOVERS ACROSS THE WORLD.
LET US FORM A DIRECTORY OF ALL RAFIANS WHICH CAN BE USED TO ENHANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE GREAT AWAAZ KA JADUJAR RAFI SAB.
P.NARAYANAN BANGALORE 09886779557
All said and done, I am considering myself lucky to have born in the era of All time great Rafi Sahab (my birth year is 1957). I am thankful to Allah for giving me birth in India, where this legend Mohammed Rafi was also born.
Being Muslim, we are forbidden to have a photograph of a living creature religiously, defying this I am keeping a photograph of Rafi Sahab with me (though I am orthodoxically devoted to Islam) but then I am sure Allah will forgive me for my BEAUTIFUL DEVOTIONAL SIN.
On every 31st July since 1980 tears have rolled down my eyes (Aankhen num hoti hi hai) Alas! the loss of Rafi Sahab could have been compensated by some pretext.
Even then, I thank Allah for giving us the gift of Mohammed Rafi.
Mujhe Darde Dil Kaa Pataa na tha, Mujhe Aap kis liye mil gaye
Main Akele yun hi Majhe me tha, Mujhe Aap kis liye mil gaye
A tearful tribute to God’s gift, Rafi Sahab.
Munir Vohra
Respected handa saheb,
I am completely agree that Rafi Saheb is not being given the space & reward what he deserved but all these music channels have to bow to that immortial voice when airing the old hit songs to improve their ranking. In this commercial world may be they can afford to ignore a gem of a person and artist like Rafi saheb but do they have any answer that “why Rafi Saheb still rules on more than 50% time of FM put altogether”.Can one believe that anyone could repeat this record even after his 26th death anniversary. All of his fans like ours must recognise a fact that all this Music industry still needs his name , rafi saheb’s popularity does not need anything from them.His voice will always rule our hearts till the very end of our own lives.
Rajesh Jain
It is a great thing that there is a website dedicated to Rafi sahab. Today, even after 26 years, his being is a part of daily life for many music lovers. His voice is immortal. It is always very difficult to express our feelings for this great singer and great man too.
May the ALMIGHTY grant eternal peace to the noble soul.
Gaurang Pandya
I have to say that on Rafi Saabs death anniversary not one single channel paid tribute to him.
They mentioned him on the Zee news and they did a tribute on Asian Gold radio and thats it.
Surely more needs to be done.
About O.P Nayar I read in an interview he said that removing Rafi saab from his music room was an entire blunder of his career. Can anyone else please shed more light on this.
Thanks
Khalid Rashid
UK
Dear Sunil Handa thanks what u wrote about the king of singers about OP Nayar i can say u r right but not 100% because O P Nayar said many thing that he is because on Mohd Rafi and he said that he made Asha yes Asha herself said that O P Nayar who made her,O P Nayar also said it was his bigest mistake that for two years he didn’t say to Mohd Rafi to sing for him,also O P Nayar said that Mohd Rafi was better human as a singer.
dear Sunil Handa if we speak about names there are many names not only O P Nayar.
There is no name who can say that he made Mohd Rafi but there is O P Nayar who made Asha there is Rd who made KK,there is Raj kapoor who made Mukesk but about Mohd Rafi we say Mohd Rafi made ………..
When I hear Rafiji’s songs, I wonder if God has a similar voice. The more I hear him the more I am sure that He IS God’s voice. The era of 60s was the most blessed for hindi film music. And undoubtedly the voice that reverbated then and later in 70s was of Rafiji. From the hard core classical to the hip hop renditions, he could just sing any song with amazing ease and comfort. I enjoy hearing ‘Madhuban mein radhika’, though I have no knowledge of classical singing. It is his easy recital that makes a tough song so hummable.
Yes the times have changed. People tend to remember more of those musical giants who they are able to cash in at present. But the fact remains that when music is thought or spoken about it cannot be complete without Mohd. Rafi as there has been none of his kind who could sing to any tune or for any mood.
“Tum mujhe yoon bhula na paaoge,
Jab kabhi bhi sunoge geet mera,
Sang sang tum bhi gun gunaaoge”
How true!!
Naushadji once said about Rafiji:
“Apni mausiki par to sab ko fakr hai, magar mere dost aaj mausiki ko tujh par naaz hai”
Thanks to the Almighty for having given us this Gem who is a constant companion to us in our times of joy and sorrow.
Sunil handa ji aapne kaafi sahi baat kahi hai. Mera manna hai ki jo jaisa aadmi hota hai use waisa hi aadmi pasand hota hai. Sayad aaj ki taarikh men aacheh aadmi kum hai jo itne aacheh kalakar,aacheh insaan ki kimut nahin jaante. Ye unka durbhaagya hi kaha ja sakta hai. men aapse baat karna chaahunga. Ashok Kumar-01212000666
O.P. Nayyar said once that if there wouldn’t have been Rafi then there wouldn’t have be Nayyar. I think this the best compliment ever.
u r right harvi they r no where near to rafi saab decency
afterall it was rafi saab yaar
no one like him will come again
Sunil ji,
You are right that Rafi did not get the due he deserved, being the most versatile and complete singer. Sadly enough, not all TV/Radio stations dedicate programmes on his birthday/death anniversary. His fan following is easily the largest and craze for his songs highest.
I am amazed that RD Burman is talked so much. I am no authority in music, but it hurts me when RD Burmans name is repeated time and again by Asha Bhonsle (His wife #…?). I remember an interview of Asha Bhonsle in which she had stated that she wants to cash in on their relationship. This is purely a commercial flavour. Music maestroes like Madan Mohan, Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad, Khayyam, Laxmikant Pyarelal etc gave very pleasant music and far superior in quality. Perhaps they did not have a commercialy inclined wife to market husband’s work. He was fortunate to be son of great SD Burman. I find very little diffrence between Bhappi Lahiri and RD Burman otherwise.
OP Nayyar talks of Asha Bhonsle because he made her and she along with Rafi made him. I have heard his programme where he pays highest possible tribute to him. Argueably, he also claims to have got the best out of Rafi – He surely gave many foot tapping numbers and real tear jerker through Rafi. Success went through OP Nayyar’s head and he dumped Rafi for two years to try out Mukesh/Mahender Kapoor to go down. He admits this to be his greatest blunder of his life which brought his downfall.