Ten Men, One Voice: The Magic of Mohammad Rafi

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Today, December 24, 2024 marks an important birth centenary: that of one of the greatest singers ever to hail from the Indian subcontinent, the inimitable Mohammad Rafi. Born on December 24, 1924 in Kotla Sultan Singh (Punjab), Rafi would go on to dominate the world of Hindi playback singing in a way few of his contemporaries could, singing thousands of songs, winning awards by the dozen—and rarely (a rarity in itself, in a competitive industry) antagonizing those he worked with.

I have been a fan of Rafi’s since pretty much as far back as I can remember, long before I even knew his name (though I do remember Ameen Sayani announcing that so-and-so song, which we were about to listen to on Binaca Geetmala, had been sung by Mohammad Rafi). All my early favourites—Yeh chaand sa roshan chehra, Jaane kahaan mera jigar gaya ji and Jangal mein mor naacha, among others—I was to realize later had been sung by one man.

It was impossible, therefore, to have Rafi’s birth centenary come up, and not mark it in some way on this blog. I have done a post on “the voice of God” (as Manmohan Desai described Rafi) before: Rafi in ten moods. Even then, earlier in my blogging career (when I went out on a limb more often), I was unwilling to commit to an all-encompassing ‘ten favourite Rafi songs’; I couldn’t possibly do that. I still cannot. Cannot think of just ten favourite Rafi solos, or ten favourite Rafi duets, or ten favourite 50s Rafi songs, or whatever.

Even this was an uphill task, because trying to pin down just one Rafi song per actor which I really like, was next to impossible. But yes, let it suffice for me to say that these are ten songs, all from pre-70s films that I’ve seen, that I especially love. Of course, the actors are ten different men. And, just to make it not quite so much a sitter, none of these songs are repeats from my earlier Rafi post, here. Also, all of these are solos.

Beyond song #1 below, the rest are not in any particular order.

1. Ae gulbadan ae gulbadan (Professor, 1962): Shammi Kapoor. There is an interesting anecdote about how once Rafi was recording a song. He began singing it in a particular style, and the music director stopped him to say, “This is not picturized on Shammi Kapoor.” Rafi immediately changed his style.

If there’s one actor with whom Rafi tends to be automatically associated, it’s Shammi Kapoor. Whether Rafi was singing love songs like Ehsaan tera hoga mujhpar or Deewaana hua baadal or Is rang badalti duniya mein, or loony, whacky ones like the title song of Junglee, Rafi somehow sounded exactly like Shammi Kapoor. He is supposed to have even said that he would imagine how Shammi would enact the song, and would sing accordingly.

Here, then, one of those gloriously romantic songs that Rafi sang for Shammi. Mellifluous, melting, utterly romantic.

2. Pukaarta chala hoon main (Mere Sanam, 1965): Biswajeet. Biswajeet debuted in Hindi cinema (in Bees Saal Baad, 1962) with Hemant Kumar as his singing voice: a voice too which worked very well with Biswajeet’s own voice, perhaps because there was that faintly nasal quality to his speaking voice that was echoed in Hemant’s baritone. Perhaps, too, a gently Bengali lilt? I can’t say; but Hemant gave Biswajeet some classic songs in the actor’s initial years in Hindi cinema. But beyond that, Rafi took over, and somehow managed to sound completely believable as Biswajeet’s voice.

Mere Sanam, its music composed by OP Nayyar, had one hit after another, with Rafi singing, either solo or with Asha Bhonsle, songs such as Humdum mere maan bhi jaao and Tukde hain mere dil ke. And this one, my favourite of Rafi’s songs for Biswajeet: the soothing, mellow quality of Pukaarta chala hoon main is such that I can listen to it umpteen times without getting tired of it. I am not fond of Biswajeet, but Rafi’s voice here makes even Biswajeet bearable.

3. Jaane kya dhoondti rehti hain (Shola aur Shabnam, 1961): Dharmendra. Dharmendra’s very first film, the otherwise forgettable Dil Bhi Tera Hum Bhi Tere (1960), had him lip-syncing to the voice of Mukesh; the following year, in (also, for me, fairly forgettable) Shola aur Shabnam, however, Mohammad Rafi sang playback for him—and how. This was a partnership that was to endure for over two decades, with Rafi’s last ever recorded song (recorded a few hours before his death on July 31, 1980), Tu kahin aas paas hai dost, being sung playback for Dharmendra.

In those twenty years, Rafi gave Dharmendra many hit songs, from solos like the romantic Aapke haseen rukh pe aaj naya noor hai to the angsty Mere dushman tu meri dosti ko tarse, to duets such as Dil ne phir yaad kiya and Aaj mausam bada beimaan hai. And this, one of Rafi’s very first songs for Dharmendra. Starting off gently, quietly, sadly, and then mounting gradually into a cry of woe. A superb expression of the loneliness of a young man who cannot dare to hope for love.


4. Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukaare chale gaye (Kaala Paani, 1958): Dev Anand. One of the things that struck me almost from the very beginning of my love for Dev Anand (from the 50s and early 60s; not beyond) was that he had so many fabulous songs picturized on him. To this day, I will watch pretty much any Dev Anand film from this era, secure in the knowledge that the songs, at least, will be good. From Din dhal jaaye to Khoya-khoya chaand, from Abhi na jaao chhodkar to Main zindagi ka saath nibhaata chala gaya, many of Dev Anand’s most memorable songs were sung for him by Rafi.

This is a particular favourite of mine, a philosophical song in an unusual (though not unknown, as you’ll see, also, from the next song on this list) setting for philosophy. Dev Anand, visiting the kotha where Nalini Jaywant’s character is a tawaif, impresses her with his sher-o-shaayari: by singing this cynical, beautiful song. Dev is handsome; SD Burman’s music is sublime; Majrooh Sultanpuri’s lyrics have a whimsical tone to them that I find very appealing—and Rafi brings them all together, to create magic. What a voice.

5. Yeh zulf agar khulke bikhar jaaye toh achha (Kaajal, 1965): Raaj Kumar. Another inebriated customer in a kotha, singing a song of philosophy. On a slight tangent: how is it that Mohammad Rafi, a complete teetotaller, managed to end up singing so many daaru songs? Hui shaam unka khayal aa gaya, Din dhal jaaye, Hai duniya usi ki zamaana usi ka, Jangal mein mor naacha, Hum bekhudi mein tumko pukaare, and (from Kaajal itself) Chhoo lene do naazuk honthon ko. Of course, intoxicated singers in Hindi cinema are still supposed to be perfectly in tune, so Rafi’s being a drinker or not makes no difference: but I find it an amusing coincidence that he sang so many of these songs.

And so beautifully too.

I have to admit I am not a Raaj Kumar fan, but this song I love (mostly, I think, because of Rafi: he’s so good). The almost-slurring, the slightly meandering style of singing that might fit with a man just on the verge of letting his drink make him lose control… superb.

6. Sar jo tera chakraaye ya dil dooba jaaye (Pyaasa, 1957): Johnny Walker. It says a lot for Mohammad Rafi’s versatility that he not only sang for the romantic heroes of hundreds of films, he also sang—and very believably—for the comic actors as well. Agha, for instance, or Mehmood. And, of course, for Johnny Walker: Rafi was the voice for Johnny Walker. Whenever I watch Arre na na na na tauba tauba or Jaane kahaan mera jigar gaya ji or pretty much any other song Rafi sang for Johnny Walker, I can’t help but wonder how Rafi managed to sound so absolutely like JW. That same intonation, that same looniness. It’s not a case of a singer’s voice matching an actor’s speaking voice well (as in the case of Manna Dey becoming the singing voice for Mehmood); it’s a definite case of a singer making a conscious effort to adapt his voice to the actor’s.

The score of Pyaasa is, I think, a fine example of a singer demonstrating his ability to sing just about any song that a music director (in this case SD Burman) faced him with. There was the brooding angst of Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaaye toh kya hai and Jinhe naaz hai Hind par; there was the romantic Hum aapki aankhon mein. There was even the superb Tang aa chuke hain, which Rafi sang without any instrumentation.

And there was this, a light-hearted song about a tel-maalishwaala selling his services. Peppy, fun, and so totally Johnny Walker even if you’re just listening, not watching.

7. Keh do koi na kare yahaan pyaar (Goonj Uthi Shehnai, 1959): Rajendra Kumar. Rajendra Kumar ‘Jubilee Kumar’ (as he was known for the astonishing frequency with which his films seemed to run into silver jubilees of shows) was one of Hindi cinema’s most popular actors through the 50s and 60s. I must confess I’ve never liked Rajendra Kumar much (though there are a few films in which he’s okay), and I find it difficult to understand the reason behind his success. He’s not especially handsome, and his acting, while not abysmal, is really no better than that of most of his contemporaries. But one thing I can say about Rajendra Kumar: he had some wonderful songs picturized on him, and most of them sung by Mohammad Rafi. Kaun hai jo sapnon mein aaya, Ae nargis-e-mastaana, Husnwaale tera jawaab nahin, Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam… and those are just the romantic songs. Rafi’s voice, I strongly believe, comprised 95% (if not more) of Rajendra Kumar’s onscreen charisma.

But let me take a break from all those meltingly romantic love songs and pick a sad one. Rafi sang plenty of songs of heartbreak and betrayal for Rajendra Kumar (Humne jafa na seekhi, Yaad na jaaye beete dinon ki, etc), but this is one I particularly love. Rafi is superb here, his voice imbued with all the pain and anguish of the shattered lover. So much emotion, but not melodramatic.

8. Mujhe dekhkar aapka muskuraana (Ek Musaafir Ek Haseena, 1962): Joy Mukherji. Joy Mukherji had a fairly short-lived career as a leading man: his debut film, Love in Simla, was released in 1960, and by about 1968 (when Humsaaya was released), he was pretty much a spent force. In the 7-8 years that he was at the top of his game, however, Joy Mukherji delivered hit after hit. His films were frothy romances with mostly predictable but enjoyable masala plots: Love in Simla, Love in Tokyo, Phir Wohi Dil Laaya Hoon, Shagird. They were shot in gorgeous locales, and Rafi sang for Joy, giving him some stunning songs.

Ek Musaafir Ek Haseena, which paired Joy with Sadhana (who had also debuted alongside him in Love in Simla) was to be the standard Joy Mukherji film: lots of eye candy, and some unforgettable songs. Mujhe dekhkar aapka muskuraana, for instance. Hear the romance in Rafi’s voice, the gloriously seductive smoothness, the irresistible attractiveness of it. Joy is handsome, yes; but even if he weren’t, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Sadhana’s character would have still swooned. That voice is to die for.

9. Madhuban mein Radhika naache re (Kohinoor, 1960): Dilip Kumar. This is a song that had to be on this list. Not only because it is such a good song (so much a favourite of mine that it’s appeared on several lists I’ve made over the years), but also because it is such a stellar example of a fine jugalbandi between an actor and the singer who’s singing for him. Dilip Kumar was not just one of Hindi cinema’s greatest actors, but also a passable singer; for this song, to enhance his performance, he actually learnt to play the sitar, and rehearsed the song multiple times to get the lip-syncing and the sitar-playing absolutely correct. Forget about the sitar, even; just to manage the lip movements for that very complex singing is quite a feat in itself.

Rafi, of course, sang many songs for Dilip Kumar, from tragic ones like O door ke musaafir and Toote hue khwaabon ne to romantic serenades like Tere husn ki kya taareef karoon, to even light-hearted (light-footed?) songs like Mere pairon mein ghungroo.

10. Tum bin jaaoon kahaan (Pyaar ka Mausam, 1969): Shashi Kapoor. I began this list with one of the Kapoor brothers, and I will end with another (if you want songs Rafi sang for Raj Kapoor, check out this post on Anu’s blog, which is a fine tribute to two maestros who share this month as their birth centenary). Rafi may be regarded as the quintessential ‘voice of Shammi Kapoor’, but he sang, too, a considerable number of songs for the youngest of the Kapoors, Shashi. The melodiously romantic Likhe jo khat tujhe; the flirtatious Thoda ruk jaayegi toh tera kya jaayega, the madcap Kehne ki nahin baat—and so many more. Somehow, Rafi, a good fourteen years older than Shashi, managed to bring all the boyish charm of Shashi into his voice when he sang for the actor.

This song, incidentally, is an unusual one, in that it has been sung by two playback singers of the same gender (solos sung in two versions, male and female, are very common; this isn’t). One version was sung by Kishore, for Bharat Bhushan; the other was this. I love both songs, but there is something about Rafi singing for Shashi which is especially attractive.

That, then, is my list. Of course there are many songs I have left out. Other songs picturized on these very men. And songs picturized on actors other than these. Bharat Bhushan, for instance (Zindagi bhar nahin bhoolegi, Jab-jab bahaar aayi), Pradeep Kumar (Mann re tu kaahe na dheer dhare), Manoj Kumar (Patthar ke sanam tujhe humne), Guru Dutt (Chaudhvin ka chaand ho ya aaftaab ho)—even Kishore Kumar (Ajab hai daastaan teri ae zindagi). Joyous songs, sad songs, romantic songs, devotional songs. Songs of patriotism, comic songs. Rafi excelled in each of them.

All the songs listed in this post, as well as most (not all) of the songs mentioned in the descriptions here, are in this playlist, if you’d like to hear them.

Which songs would you add to this list?

PS. As an afterthought. Given that I am such a fan of Rafi’s, I cannot just stop at one post, can I, to mark this landmark date. So watch this space—my next blog post will be a list of Rafi songs picturized on not-very-famous actors.

71 thoughts on “Ten Men, One Voice: The Magic of Mohammad Rafi”

  1. Gorgeous songs. I’m impressed how you managed to pick such a good list out of so many Rafi songs out there. I like how you sneakily managed to list so many more, hee hee. This playlist is going to be a favourite of mine.

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  2. Totally agree with you here!! Difficult to choose only 10 songs from Rafi’s repertoire. So Rafi for 10 men makes much more sense.
    Each one of the song in your list is lovely, my favorite too. But ‘Jane Kya Dhoondati’ is special.

    For Shammi, I would pick up ‘Hai Duniya Usi Ki’ & for Rajendra Kumar ‘Yaad Na Jayein’. You already mentioned them.

    For Dilip, in addition to the all the songs you have chosen, I would go for Hue Hum Jin Ke Liye Barbad. The minimal music underlines the pathos in Rafi’s voice.

    For Biswajeet it would be O My Love. That first call O My Love is so so gentle.

    For Joy Mukherjee, it would be Dil Ki Awaaj Bhi Sun

    For Dev in addition to all the songs you have chosen, I would go for Teri Zulfon se Judaai It’s earnest, teasing & pleasing – a very Dev Anand song.

    For Shashi it would be Yahan Mein Ajnabi Hoon

    For Pradeep Kumar it would be either Dil Jo Na Kah Saka or Hum Intejaar Karenge

    For Manoj Kumar it would be Ae Watan Ae Watan. It gives me goosebumps every time I listen.

    For Guru Dutt, it is Yeh Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaye

    Awaiting your new Rafi posts on other actors as well as other themes.

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    • I love all your choices! What a phenomenon Rafi Sahib was, wasn’t he? There is no end to the great songs that he sang… so many of them.

      BTW, Ae watan ae watan always gives me gooseflesh too. Wonderful song. I wish I’d remembered that!

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  3. Ah, such a lovely post. For Biswajit, my favourite would be ‘Ba-hosho hawaas main deewana…’ Choosing a Dev Anand-Rafi song is really difficult, I think. So many songs. And I really like ‘Mujhe dekhkar aapka muskuraana.’ I really like ‘Wo wo na rahe jinke liye hum thay bequarar…’ but then it’s probably from the late 70s or early 80s.

    Looking forward to the next part.

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  4. Fabulous tribute, thank you Madhulika! I had no idea was his birth centenary, so I’ve shared your post to Bluesky and Mastodon, and on Mastodon followed up with ten of my personal favourites. Thank you for the inspiration.

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    • Very true. Without Rafi, there would have been no career for Bharat Bhushan. Rafi’s songs for him were what made him popular, I think – he lip-synced to some really superb songs. Look at a film like Barsaat ki Raat, for example. One great song after another, and actually not an exceptional film other than that (and Madhubala’s beauty, of course).

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  6. Excellent tribute to the singer who is arguably the gold standard in Hindi male playback singing.

    Pradeep Kumar and Bharat Bhushan were two very average actors whose status was enhanced by the fabulous songs sung by Rafi for them.

    And a special mention of Guru Dutt for whom Rafi sang many memorable songs. As far as I know, except “Jaane woh kaise” by Hemant Kumar and a song from Bharosa by Mahendra Kapoor, all of Guru Dutt’s songs were sung by Rafi

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    • I agree about both Pradeep Kumar and Bharat Bhushan (I’d add Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar to that list) as being very average actors whose careers were made because of the songs Rafi sang for them.

      I hadn’t known about Guru Dutt lip-syncing to only two songs that weren’t sung by Rafi. Interesting.

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  7. On a slight tangent: how is it that Mohammad Rafi, a complete teetotaller, managed to end up singing so many daaru songs? 

    Maybe you could do another tribute post on, say, ‘Rafi: Ten Stages of Inebriation’ or something?

    More seriously, I’d love it if you do a post on Rafi singing under the baton of ten different composers.

    Unlike many, he was sought after by almost all leading MDs of the day, even as (unlike a certain someone) he never actively sought a monopoly over playback singing. They all loved him – Shankar Jaikishan, OP Nayyar, SD Burman, Naushad, even unexpected ones like Nachiketa Ghosh who decided the Bangla movie Indrani (1958) must have a Hindi number, and nobody apart from Rafi could present it the way he wanted. True to his generous nature, Rafi eventually agreed to record it free of charge. But that, as they say, is another story.

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    • Abhik, thank you so much for that interesting story about the song from Indrani (also thinking of your Facebook post on that, not just this comment).

      Yes, I think a Rafi-with-composers post is in order. But that can never be just one post, can it? Because there are so many composers, so many fabulous songs that Rafi sang – this would probably outstrip the series of posts I did for Lata with various composers. Especially since my love for Rafi outstrips my love for Lata! :-)

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  8. Great list as always! If I could only pick one singer as my ‘favourite’, I’d definitely pick Rafi. Thanks for this lovely tribute and for the playlist! Looking forward to the next one on not-so-famous actors too.

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  9. Madhu,

    Terrific list and you have selected some of the best Rafi songs for these actors. Plus in the write up you mention some of your other favourites. I can appreciate there would be more posts, Rafi is so endless. On my blog I ran a centenary series starting from January 1, concluding today with his duets. But even that does not seem enough and it may spill over in the next year. Congratulations on a good post.
    AK

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    • Praise from someone of your calibre is high praise indeed. Thank you so much, AK. I am glad you enjoyed this post. And yes, I completely agree: there seems no end to the number of posts, on different themes, that one might write on Rafi. So good, and so prolific.

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  11. I knew you would have a post for Rafi! I just felt it in my bones. :) And what a lovely way to celebrate, na? So many wonderful songs, and yes, I noticed you sneaked in a whole lot more in your descriptions. :) :)

    Is it strange that both you and I should point out how some actors owe their success to Rafi’s voice? Or wonder how Rafi, a teetotaller, could sing so many ‘drunken songs’ so beautifully? :)

    Thanks for the shout out to my post as well. So sweet of you.

    p.s. By the way, the title of your post – Ten Men, One Voice – brought to mind this song that I came across recently:

    B.A. M.A. PhD, ye diploma ye degree from a 1971 film named Badnam Farishte. Rafi does sing for ten men (or is it 12? – in a single song. :)

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  14. Oh, what a splendid celebration of an incredible artist.  I’m going to spend the day in musical bliss thanks to your post, Madhu! 

    I love almost every song in your list, but here are a few other favorites.

    Dharmendra:

    Mujhe Dard e Dil ka pata na tha – Akash Deep/Chitragupta/Majrooh

    Ashok Kumar:

    Itni badi diniya jahan itna bada mela – Toofan Mein Yeh Pyar Kahan/Chitragupta/Prem Dhawan

    Shashi Kapoor:

    Dil mein ek jaan-e-tamana ne – Benazir/SD Burman/Shakeel Badayuni

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    • Thank you so much, Shalini. I’m glad you liked this list – and thank you for your additions. All three songs are songs I like, though I will admit to a special fondness for Mujhe dard-e-dil ka pata na thha. :-)

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  15. Last year when you posted Mukesh in Ten Moods on his 100th birth anniversary, I was pretty sure you would come up with a similar theme on Rafi’s 100th birthday and when your expectations come true (on a happy note) then you obviously are filled with immense joy. And here I’m feeling the same and sharing my favorite songs of Rafi below (It’s really very hard to choose a favorite song out of so many but still I wanted to pick something and came up with the following list):

    For Shammi Kapoor my pick is either Dheere chal ae bheegi hawa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oy9Yo38nqA or Kyon ji mujhe pehchaana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE5J2FkjryU

    For Biswajeet, I would choose Ae jaaneman (from Hare kaanch ki choodiyaan) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7a5YMmYIts

    My favorite Rafi song on Dharmendra is Na jaa kahin ab na jaa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB85oyrpYrE

    As for Dev Anand my favorite song is one of the finest ghazal of Hindi cinema Kahin bekhayal hokar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ClfFXTMqIk but this one is not complete. The complete version is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsnrEY7g6Tg

    For Raj Kumar my favorite choice is Chhoo Lene Do Nazuk Hothon Ko

    I have always been addicted to this song of Johny Walker Ae dil tu na darr is jahaan se https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9HpVw31I-Q

    When it comes to Rajendra Kumar I love this super melodious super romantic fast paced song Saare zamaane pe mausam suhaane pe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPmMXG5407Y

    My pick for Joy Mukherjee song is Jaanoon kya mera dil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-k3J9ilcdc

    This iconic song Aaj ki raat mere dil ki salaami le le https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MujG3nc-EXw composed by Naushad is my favorite Dilip Kumar song

    My favorite Shashi Kapoor song is Yoon rootho na haseena meri https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmBFWMayCWk

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    • I have taken the liberty of editing your comment to insert the names of the songs – YouTube links have a bad habit of disappearing, and then people are left wondering which song you meant. Typing in the song name leaves it there for posterity.

      And may I say what wonderful songs you listed. Absolutely lovely. Just goes to show, even when we’ve actually barely skimmed the surface, just what a huge corpus of excellent work Rafi had to his name.

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  18. Let me first wish you a merry Christmas!

    Excellent post!

    Was indeed a treat on Rafi’s birth centenary celebrations.

    Very difficult to choose songs, even one song per actor is difficult for me.

    Would enjoy the list and the comments instead!

    :-)

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    • Anupji, I was travelling and only saw your comment now. Thank you for the greetings, and best wishes for the New Year to you and your family!

      Glad you enjoyed this post, thank you. :-)

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  19. I always feel when Rafi sings a romantic number, he is singing just for me. Suhani Raat Dhal chuki, yehi hai tamanna, tumhari zulfke saaye mein, will stop at this. Not possible to limit his songs, Rafi is the singer of all seasons, moods. Rafi lives as long as I live.

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  20. You could have added Bhajans like “man tarpat Hari Darshan” , saddest song ever like “keh do koi na Karen yahan pyar”, softly melodic “aaj kahoon ik baat paron se”.

    Along with those mentioned in yours, I would include these 3 essentialy.

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    • Keh do koi na kare yahaan pyaar is in this list. And Mann tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj was in my previous list. As I’ve mentioned in the beginning, songs do not overlap between the two lists.

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  21. Itni haseen, itni jawaan raat kya karen from Aaj aur Kal, also Ye wadiyan ye fizaayen bula rahi hain tumhe from the same film. Then Zindagi ke safar mein akele the hum from Nartaki to name three that come immediately to mind.

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  22. Sorry, the first comment was in response to Keka Dutta’s query about Rafi’s songs for Sunil Dutt. As for the main post, what can I say except that I just love Rafi and have always loved him and Dustedoff’s post was a treat. I would like to mention Mohammad Rafi’s playback for Ashok Kumar in Meri Surat Teri Aankhen. Both songs are beautiful but Nache mann Mora is just exquisite and transports me into raptures of joy since childhood when I heard it for the first time.

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    • Ashok Kumar was on my longlist for this post, but then I found I had my top ten already done, with songs I like a lot, so he got left behind. Thank you for adding a beautiful song, there.

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  24. Rafi Saab was a master of playback singing. His songs are pure joy and cherished over decades & generations. Your list is very enjoyable. There can be 10 such lists and each of them equally enjoyable & unique. That is the amazing magic of the one & only Rafi Saab !!

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  25. A wonderful glimpse provided to the versatility and the range of distinctive aspects of Rafi’s singing prodigy. I enjoyed reading the article. My ideas of the stature and standing of Rafi got a boost on reading the article. Nice selection, nice spread of actors on whom Rafi’s songs are filmed, good variety of songs and interesting tidbits of information provided behind the songs. Engrossing, engaging, enriching and enjoyable!

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  26. Madhu Ji I love your love for Rafi Sahab, he was without doubt a fabulous singer with unbelievable fan base. Your choice of songs for actors is also amazing. My favorite songs on above actors.

    Shammi kapoor—- perfect, same as yours.

    Biswajeet——Akela hoon mein humsafar dhoonta hoon….Jaal

    Dharmendra——agreed with yours

    Dev Anand——-Din dhal jaye/Tere mere sapne….Guide

    Raj Kumar—–Aja tujh ko pukare mera pyar….Neel Kamal

    Johny Walker—-agreed with yours

    Rajendra Kumar—-this is tricky, I think some of best Rafi songs picturized on him, I will go for Ye mera prem patra… Sangam/Teri pyari pyari surat ko….Sasural

    Joy Mukerjee—-you have the perfect choice.

    Dilip kumar—-yours and Dil mein chupa ke….Aan

    Shashi Kapoor—- Pardesiyon se na….Jab jab phool khile

    I know you don’t like this song, but I have some very fond memories with this sonng.

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  27. Hi
    Great post! Mohd Rafi is my all time favourite singer so it’s pure joy for me reading your list!
    Just adding a few songs to your list, these are picturised on Sunil Dutt

    Main Kaun Hoon – Main Chup Rahungi 1962
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HdCZHuDDak

    Yeh Chanda Rus Ka – Insaan Jaag Utha 1959
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-EA-S8d5e4

    Chali Meri Dulhan Ki Doli – Darpan 1970
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiHUkS0MLaA

    Hum Jab Chalen To – Hum Hindustani 1960
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfkQV_lNdr0

    For Shammi Kapoor, it was a really difficult choice but I settled on

    Jawanian ye must mustbin piye
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR6jo2ZdIW4

    Biswajeet – Tera husn rahe – Do Dil 1965 (Although no Biswajeet song is better than Pukarta chala hoo mein)
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4Gm7ycZfGw

    Dharmendra – Chalkayen jaam – Mere Humdum Mere Dost 1968
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsnrYj1rOKc

    Dev Anand – Khoya khoya chand – Kala Bazar – 1960
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsENO8IjmoY

    Raaj Kumar – Tere kooche maine tera deewana – Heer Ranjha 1970
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa8UXjoI_6o

    Johnny Walker – Idhar to haath la pyare – Aakhri Dao 1958
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRNL66C7ocY

    Rajendra Kumar – Ae nargis-e-mastana – Arzoo 1965
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCfJmnXpwJ0

    Joy Mukherjee – Yeh zindagi kitni haseen hai – Title song 1966
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qe_huk28fM4

    Dilip Kumar – Dilruba maine tere pyar – Dil Diya Dard Liya 1966
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADyKKr6wbww

    Shashi Kapoor – Chale the saath milkar – Hasena Maan Jayegi 1968
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0TVWY-m8lI

    Sorry for taking up so much room..
    I know you don’t like Rajendra Kumar but what about a list of his top 10 songs? Or is it that you don’t watch his films so it woud not be possible since you only list song from films you watch?
    Maybe you could make an exception in this case..
    Anyway, keep up the good work. I love your lists and often go back and re-read them months, or even years, later

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    Reply

    • What lovely songs you’ve suggested! Thank you – had so much fun listening to these, especially the handful that I’d recall offhand.

      While I don’t like Rajendra Kumar, I have actually seen a lot of his films, and really like the songs that have been picturised on him (Ae nargis-e-mastaana was on my shortlist for this post). I do intend to do a song list for him sometime; let’s see when that happens!

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