Cineplot Music

Mohammad Rafi – Part 3

Besides mainline heroes there were a whole breed of smaller heroes who also benefited from Rafi’s vocals. Joy Mukherjee, Biswajeet, the young Jeetendra. Even in the era of superstars Rafi sang for Rajesh Khanna in his debut film Raaz and in the mega hit `Aradhana’ and for the Angry Young Man, Amitabh in Abhimaan. Music lovers still hum `Teri bindiya re’ from the film. A sweet song of love and of impending rivalry between man and wife that tears their lives apart.

The fact that Rafi was so immensely versatile and that he could take on the personality of the hero on whom the song was picturised, is mentioned by Jagjit Singh. Jagjit mentions, ‘Every time you hear a Rafi song, you see the hero, you can vividly put in place the situation and correctly assess the mood. That Rafi is singing is probably just taken for granted.’

How else can one explain how the sober, conservative Rafi could articulate the mad, unrestrained youthfulness of Shammi Kapoor. Here was a voice, a style that captured the imagination of a whole generation. Here was a talent steeped in classical learning, that could move young hearts in a beaty, rock ‘n’ roll member. Remember `Tally ho’ from China Town or ‘O Haseena zulfon wali’ or ‘Aaja Aaja main hoon pyar tera’.

Shammi Kapoor has openly acknowledged his debt to Rafi for creating his image as the Yahoo star. There’s the loud flashy ‘Yahoo’ from Junglee composed by the enduring Shankar Jaikishan that became the buzzword of a whole generation. Yahoo stood for rebellion, non­comformity, and absolutely unfettered, voluble love.

Bharat Bhushan’s success as the classical hero, could only be wrought by Mohd. Rafi. Every one of the songs from Baiju Bawra could only have been sung by the Virtuoso – Mohd. Rafi, ‘There’s the peppy `Tu ganga ki mauj’ the enduring bhajan ‘O duniya ke rakhwale’ and of course the moving `Man tarpat hari darshan ko aaj’. Again the images of the musically passionate, `Bawra’ Baiju come to mind. His enormous devotion, his phenomenal talent. And of course, only Rafi could have articulated `Baiju’s’ passion. When Bharat Bhushan made his move to Muslim socials, Rafi sang the still hummed ‘Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi, woh barsaat ki raat’. And you picture the sensitive poet-lover completely besotted by the stunning Madhubala, on a romantic, rainy night.

Even for the Thespian Dilip Kumar, Rafi created magic with his voice. This multi dimensional hero’s enormous talent found a befitting vehicle in Rafi’s vocals. There’s Dilip Kumar calling back the condemned Nimmi in the Shangri – la like film ‘Uran Khatola’. The brooding, broken lover in the haunting Madhumati song `Toote huye khwabon ne’ and of course the frisky, energetic rustic lad in `Nain lad jaihen to manava maa kasak hoi bekari’. The confirmed teetotaller Rafi articulates the betrayed trust of the Thespian drowning his sorrows in `Koi sagar dil ko behlata nahin’ and in ‘Mujhe duniyawalon sharaabi na samjho’

Rafi had the amazing ability to completely efface himself and blend his voice into the character that was portrayed onscreen. When the Thespian flirted gently in Leader with ‘Teri husn ki kya taarif karoon’, mischief sparkles in every note.

Jubilee Rajendra Kumar was literally made by Rafi. All those old world songs, steeped in courtly romance and elegant Urdu poetry from ‘Mere Mehboob’ were gems created by the Naushad – Rafi team. The yearning ‘Mere Mehboob’ the paean to love ‘Aye husn zara jaag’. Quivering songs of restrained passion that the natty Rajendra Kumar lip synched for, in his fez and sherwani. As one listens, the door opens, to a gentleman Nawabi lifestyle – full of adab and tehzeeb. And there’s the other face of Rajendra Kumar, the `ganwar’ poet in Geet - ‘Mere mitwa mere meet re’.

Dev Anand’s films were always known for their wonderful music. And the debonair Dev’s voice in early films was The Virtuoso. Whether it’s the gently romantic ‘Abhi na jao’ from Hum Dono composed by Jaidev, the brooding ‘Din Dhal Jaye’ from Guide or that precursor to Sapnon Ki Rani – ‘JiyaO jiya O jiya kuch bol do’ from Jab Pyar Kisi Se Hota Hai. Every shade of the Indian Gregory peck has been given voice to by Rafi. Again the marriage between the hero’s persona and the singer is complete and perfect.

The early Jeetendra hit from `Geet gaga pathron ne’ Shashi Baba’s `Ni sultana re’ and ‘Pardesiyon se na ankhiyan milana’, the early Dharmendra songs ‘Gar tum bhula na doge’ ‘Chalkayen jaam’, the later ‘Main jat yamla pagla deewana’ – all belonged to one voice – Mohammed Rafi. Right down to Rishi Kapoor in Sargam, Karz and Hum Kisi Se Kum Naheen.

Such was Rafi’s supremacy over the playback kingdom that in his heyday he sang for two songs filmed on the actor – singer Kishore Kumar – ‘Man mora baawra’ from Raagini composed by O.P. Nayyar and `Ajab hai yeh dastaan teri ae zindagi’ in Sharaarat composed by Shankar Jaikishan.

Bollywood