Apr 23, 2001 04:29 PM
7909 Views
In a country so diverse and varied as India, Hindi film music has played a very important role. It has been ironically, the glue to bind us together, the only thing of common interest from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. When you think of Hindi film music, you can’t but think of Mohd Rafi. The versatile singer with a golden voice that’s just incomparable. As Naushad rightly remarked “ many singers will come and go, but there can never be a Mohd Rafi again!”. Rafi is an Icon, a symbol of the golden era. His voice embodied the regal bearing of Dilip Kumar, Flamboyance of DevAnand, Masti of Shammi Kapoor, Romanticism of Rajendra Kumar, Mischiefs of Jeetendra….he had different style of singing for each star and his voice suited every actor.
Many songs have been recorded in 2 versions, one by Rafi, other by Lata. Rafi’s version has always been superior. Lata has been fond wanting in upper scale, the taar saptak, whereas Rafi used to glide over all the scales with such an ease and poise. To drive home the point, some examples;
Tum mujhe yoon bhula na paoge
Dil jo na keh saka
Ehsaan tera hoga mujh par
Jab pyar kisi se hota hai; Title song of this old film(62)
Listen to the versions again and draw your own conclusions. Rafi sang classical, ghazals, sad songs, happy songs, naughty and romantic songs, all with equal ease. His songs are immortal and unforgettable. While there have been umpteen number of albums & compilations of Rafi’s hits, this one is the best I have ever come across. For a die hard Rafi fan, I have rarely left any song or album unheard.
The compilation includes;
Main zindagi ka saath; Dev in Hum Dono.
Madhu ban mein raadhika; A classical masterpiece in Darbari kanada composed by Naushad for Kohinoor, still remains the benchmark pre-qualification for any singer in any contest.
Khoya khoya chaand; You can see Dev Anand prancing around!
Chaudhvin ka chand ho: the ultimate romance.
Raat bhar ka hai mehmaan andhera; This OP Nayyar song inspired Shanker Jaikishen to compose “ Dil ek mandir hai” title song though SJ bitterly hated OPN. This beautiful composition with excellent poetry of Sahir ihas been sung so soothingly and soulfully by Rafi, it uplifts the sagging spirits of any depressed person.
Zindgi bhar nahi bhoolegi; An immortal classic of Roshan.
Dekhi jamane ki yaari: The utter desperation,frustration and agony of the betrayed central character of Pyaasa. Rafi has done excellent justice to capture the spirit and letter of Kaifi Azmi’s poetry and is one of the greatest compositions of Burman da.
I will desist from describing rest of the songs. Each and every number is a jewel. Listen to them yourself and find out.
Before I end, there is a small quiz; 1. Do you know that Rafi lent his voice to another famous play back singer Kishore Kumar? Name the film and the song.
- Rafi sang one and only song for Raj kapoor, name the song and the film. The first person to answer both the questions correctly, has an open invitation for dinner with me and my family! Wish you all the best.
