However, some say that Rafi’s first Hindi film song was Jab dil ho kaabumein ( Gaon Ki Gori, 1945) under the baton of Shyam Sunder.
After the recording, Rafi’s feet were bleeding but his face was glowing with the joy of singing his first song in a Hindi film. While singing the song they were to make a rhythmic sound by hitting their booted legs in unison. The story of Rafi’s first recording as narrated by Naushad reveals that in order to give a marching effect to the patriotic song Hindustan Ke Hum Hain ( Pehle Aap, 1944), he asked the chorus singers to don military heavy shoes. Rafi moved to Bombay on the invitation of actor-producer Nazeer, who paid him Rs.100 along with a rail ticket from Lahore to Bombay.
Rafi’s songs became very popular even before the release of Gul Baloch on 23rd August, 1946. In this film, Rafi sang another duet Aachannve with Munawar Sultana under the baton of Lachhi Ram and a chorus Sun sunnikki jehi gall under the music direction of Pt. In 1942, Shyam Sunder recorded a duet Pardesi…sohneya oye heeriye oye in the voices of Zeenat Begum and Mohammad Rafi for the Punjabi film Gul Baloch (1945). This new singing sensation was introduced to filmdom by music director Shyam Sunder. Saigal, who predicted that Rafi would one day become a great singer. The audience included renowned singer K.L. Rafi’s singing talent was first recognised on a larger scale in 1937, when he unexpectedly performed at the All-India Exhibition, Lahore. Later in life, this casual radio artist rose to unprecedented heights in the Indian film industry, to become renowned as Mohammed Rafi. Rafi picked up the intricacies of music from well-known vocalists and instrumentalists like Abdul Waheed Khan and Chote Ghulam Ali Khan.
Pandit JiwanLal trained young Rafi in classical music and some commonly used raagas in Punjabi folk music. Impressed by his voice, Jiwan Lal invited him to Radio Lahore for an audition, which Rafi cleared with ease. Once Pandit Jiwan Lal Mattoo went for a haircut to the saloon, where a new helper Pheeku (Rafi) was singing Waris Shah’s Heer in his own Amritsari style. Despite this, his interest in music bloomed.Īt the age of nine, Rafi moved to Lahore and started working in the family enterprise around Bhatti Gate, Lahore. Rafi grew up in an orthodox household where music and singing were frowned upon. The little child Rafi, mesmerised by the melodious tune, used to trail the fakir from a distance. A fakir used to chant songs while seeking alms in his locality.
Mohammed Rafi was born to Hajji Ali Mohammed and Allah Rakhi on 24th December, 1924 in Kotla Sultan Singh (Amritsar). Though he did make a partial transition to a more youthful and playful style as in Junglee (1961), he was too closely wedded to the classical tradition to wander too far from it. In Baiju Bawra (1952), he demonstrated his virtuosity and range, while in Pyaasa (1957), he showed the evocative power he could bring to the lyrics. It was his duet with Noor Jehan in Jugnu (1947) that catapulted him as a new star in the playback galaxy, particularly the song Yahan badla wafaka. Celebrities have fans, but Rafi had worshippers some even have ‘Rafi Temples’ in their houses. Rafi still shines like a Polaris on the Indian film music horizon. Saraswati’s abode was in his sublime, divine voice. He had poignantly brought in a range of emotions in his renderings with his exquisite melodious and mellifluous voice for over seven decades. His repertoire ranges from heart-wrenching ballads to fast peppy numbers to classical songs, lamenting melodies to highly romantic songs, qawwalis to ghazals and bhajans to patriotic songs. The singer of the millennium, Mohammed Rafi with his rich tonal voice, versatility and crystal-clear intonations rendered thousands of unique songs.
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