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It is very rare that I don't find the right words and the right phrases to begin an article. This time I am not .surprised, for no words can match the talent of the n we all know as Mohammad Rafi. While I had been nning to write about him for long, I never felt ifident about the idea as I wanted to do justice to it. er much deliberation, I reached Rafi  Mansion. As I ered the premise, I could instantly feel the simplicity Mohammad Rafi, the man looked upon as the best iger the Indian film industry has ever witnessed. While ing greeted by Shahid Rafi, I could not miss the stark semblance he bears with his father and his calm and aceful demeanour. As he fondly begins talking about s father, one can instantly sense the vacuum that his unce has created.
The name Mohammad Raft doesn't need any introduction. Quite the one whose voice would turn nmy song into a melodious ballad, Mohammad Rafi's ourney in the industry, albeit simple, was one that was ruly nourishing and fulfilling. His son Shahid Raft akes us through the life of the musical maestro...
•Born in the small hamlet called Kotla Sultan Singh in Amritsar, Mohammad Rafi's inspiration towards music was most unusual. Shahid says, "I think, around the age of seven, the whole family, including my grandfather shifted to Lahore and my father was inspired to sing by a fakir carrying an iktara. He would pass dad's locality and dad would follow him for quite a distance, after which the .fakir would sit under a tree and sing. He was not a beggar, but a wanderer." Continuing enthusiastically, he says, "Dad would just sit at a distance and listen to him. He was inspired by his voice. Thereon, he developed a keen interest in music. He tried a lot and learnt music on his own. He would sit among friends and sing songs." As age caught up, Mohammad Rafi's inclination towards music only strengthened. His entry in the Hindi film industry was destiny's play. He was spotted by chance in one of the live performances in the village by music director Shyamsunder. Shahid says, "In dad's early teens in Lahore, Shyamsundersaab and KL Saigalsaab had gone there for a show where there were a lot of people. At that time there were no halls.
"In those days, outsic studio, there was a im security guard who w allow anybody, so he often stop dad." just put up tents and gather around and enjoy was very fond of singing so when he bean being there, he went for the show, my father's also went with him." Shahid speaks of his father's imprompti that memorable day. "Suddenly, there was as usual, people started hooting and bociii from the crowd said, lafi ko ttpar bhejo...Ra father was generally a shy person, but sill he willingly got onto the stage and sang. Ev people loved it. Shyamsunderji, who was taaya, asked him who the boy was and my . introduced dad as his younger brother and to sing. He requested my taaya to bring da promised to give him a break." And just like a power packed Hindi film, life witnessed the usual drama—a strict op father and a lenient supportive mother. Rafi against the idea of sending his young son to least knowing that one day his lad was goirq by storm. Unable to convince his father of left home with his elder brother and mother' and a sack full of chana and headed for Mu Life in Mumbai was a difficult challen; in a small room in a crowded locality in all the way to the beach at five in the mon then doing rounds of one studio after the 01 bid to look for Shyamsunder, was difficull all odds he faced in the city and won ha one fine day, he finally managed to locate outside a studio. Recollecting his father's second chana director, Shahid says, "In those days, outside was a pathan security guard who wouldn't he would often stop clad. Then, after strug of months, Shyamsundersaab noticed my studio. Recognising him, he asked the guai He decided to give him a song." Shahid ( father got his first break in a Punjabi film call
•First Hindi film was Gaon Ki Cori with music by nsundersaab." Struggle and hardship spare none and the tdary singer Mohammad Rafi was no exception. )ugh he managed to bag some solos, they t bring him recognition as a playback singer. till continued singing in choruses till he got ;ong Yahan badla wafa ka bewafai ke siwa the film Jugnu, composed by Firoze Nizami. ict, not many know that Rafi even dabbled acting in the film. He played the role of a 'ge boy along with Dilip Kumar. Although he not interested in acting, they coaxed him to Shahid says, "After that film, dad said, Arre mujhe ye sab pasand nahi, pata nahi chuna dete hai mut) pe.' He loved singing and he ted to lo just that. In fact, he had no other strength, like mildn't work in an office, nor did he have the knack to witless, his voice was his only gift." Post JU gnu, Rafi's career as a singer tracked on the ishing path. He only climbed up the ladder, bagging merable melodies that mesmerise listeners to this day. t from his immense talent, his camaraderie with music !tor Naushad is legendary. Known to be his favourite, he almost every song that the director composed. Shahid ks of his father's association with Naushad, "He was s peak when my father was recommended to him by hadsaaVs father. Naushadsaab gave my father a chance :horns, I think it was Pehle Aap, if I am not mistaken. So, hadsaab liked dad's voice and thought of giving him a ze in the same film. 'Then gradually things took off and Baiju Bawra, he never looked back. His voice was totally ent from others'; it was very touching and effortless. He Tod gifted so everything just worked in his favour." vlohammad Rafi soon grew to become' the phenomenon ill date. His talent, combined with toil, brought him laurels ,pportunities that assured him a mention in golden letters tory. After Mahatma Gandhi's assassination, he sang the Suno suno ay duniya walon, bapu ki yeh amar kahani
 Rafi with his wife
to commemorate that fateful day in Indian history. Garnering national as well as international attention, the song put Rah on a world pedestal, winning him an award. Rafi was a bundle of talent. Though he did meet his share of struggle, by way of his ability, he easily made success his partner for life. Such was his talent that he even lent his voice for Kishore Kumar, who himself was a singer, in the movie Shararat. Shahid says about Kishore Kumar, "Kishoreda himself always said that 'Rafisaab dil se gaate hem, humlog gale se...' He recognised my father as a fabulous singer and a great human being, he respected him. He used to love him, not like today where people backbite. In those days, they were like family. Earlier, people would recommend each other. It was teamwork then." Raft's work brought him immense popularity and innumerable laurels, including the National Award and the Padmashree. But Rafi preferred to stay oblivious of his achievements and fame. Says Shahid of his father's humility, "To be very honest, my father did not know how famous he was. He never used to go on those lines and think, 'Arre, mein bahot bada aadmi boon...' You can ask anybody from the industry and they will vouch for it. There is no human being like him."
"He had issues over royalty with Lataji and they did not sing together for a long time. she wanted more royalty, dad refused."
Recalling an incident during a recording for the film Naseeb, he says, "It was a film that came much later and Amitji was quite new. By then, dad was well known as a great singer. But when he came home, he called all us kids and said, `7'umhe pata hat aaj meine kitne bade aadmi, Amitabh Bachchan ke swath gaana gaaya...' That was his modesty. He felt so proud singing with him, though he too was famous. Those days when he told us this, even we felt proud. They say we never value the gems that are within our reach. We never felt that he himself was so big. But now we realise that dad was too big." Mohammad Rafi was a family man. All that ever mattered to him was his singing and his family. Not someone who would niggle for money, Rafi believed in not receiving a penny more than what was due. Precisely why, the only issue that Rafi ever had in his blemish free career was with veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar over royalty. Elaborating on the cold vibes his father shared with Lata, Shahid says, "My dad never ran after money. He wanted to lead a simple life
nostalgia •
Kishore Kumar
and was only interested in his work and his family. He had issues over royalty with Lataji and they did not sing together for a long time. He would say Pais-a /math ka dhool hat, kabbi bbi ayega kabbi bbi jayega...' So, it was not his aim to mint money. He never even thought about it. When she (Lata Mangeshkar) wanted more royalty, dad refused saying that one must only take whatever is rightfully his. And eventually, dad said that if she didn't want to sing with him, he couldn't care either. Then Kalyanji-Anandji got them together and since dad was a very soft person, he reconciled." Apart from being a terrific singer, Rafi was known to have sung in a number of languages with great ease. An electrifying performer, his shows would always go jam packed with his fans going berserk when their favourite singer performed right before their eyes.
While everyone knows Rafi as the musical legend, not many would know that he was an extremely ind husband and a soft parent. His marriage to his wife was indeed an event of chance. While he was a nobody, he was staying in a small om in the city along with his elder brother. When his brother got married to his friend's eldest sister, Rafi would often feel awkward to k help from his sister-in-law. t is when he was married off to sister-in-law's younger sister. Says Shahid with a chuckle, ne day, rny mother came back kiln school,' kept her bag in the house and was about to leave to y when my naani called her and dered her to sit and get mehendi pplied on her hands. She was fond mehendi, so she readily agreed. she asked my granny what the occasion was and to my other's utter shock, my granny told her it was her wedding. y mother just started crying in resentment. But, the marriage pened and my mother was just 13." The marriage that happened at a very young age for Rafi and his wife was less about love and more about mpanionship. In fact, he would hardly even get to see her, cept when he went home for his meals. Though a superstar all rights, he was an extremely loving father. Lovingly embering his father, Shahid says, "Every child says his er is the best but believe me, my father was way beyond. like God created a dye and created Rafisaab with it and destroyed it. He was a great father. I've never seen my er raise his voice. But whenever he saw us misbehave indulge in any kind of mischief, he would quietly call our and point us out to her. And then my mother would hit with whatever she could lay her hands on.
My mother used
to be in our bad books. After work, dad would get home and sit with us and just enjoy. He would play carrom and badminton with us and even fly kites." Although Rafi was an icon, he never let his family feel his greatness. Their simple values and way of life are attested by the fact that even today, Shahid has continued his father's simplicity as his way of life. He says about his father's simple ways, "We never thought or felt that our father was so famous. We realised it only when he expired. The way people pounded on us, they would tell us that we didn't know how great he was and that is when we were compelled to believe that indeed our father was a great man. Today, after 30 years, the fans are just those days, they were in thousands,
and after 30 years today, they are in crores. Believe me, I get calls, mails and letters from all over the world even today." Rafi's popularity and respect within the industry is ascertained by the fact that the film industry was shut for two days to mourn his death. Indeed, it's been 30 years since the film industry lost a gem, a precious entity who's replica hasn't and will never come about. The talent that he possessed and the heart and humility that he held within him are irreplaceable. But even today, decades after his passing away, though bodily he is not among us, he has a website with a million followers writing about him every day. He has fans to whom he is god and an academy is being erected in his name that will train the many talented youngsters scattered all over the country. That is what true talent is about, it lingers on till eternity. All we can say is, we still miss you Rafisaab. |
