It was July 31, 1980. Mohammed Rafi was recording a song for J. Om Prakash’s film Aas Paas at Mehboob Studio. After the recording, he went down the staircase to get into his car. But within a few minutes, he was back in the studio to record the remaining four lines of the song that was to be completed the next day. He apparently told his driver, ‘Why keep it for tomorrow, I will finish it today itself.’ The musicians had almost packed up and everyone seemed to be in a mood to call it a day. Rafisaab insisted on recording those four lines… Tere aaney ki aas hai dost, Shaam phir kyun udaas hai dost, Mehki mehki fiza yeh kehti hai, To kahin aas paas hai dost . Ironically, these were his parting lines, replete with poignancy. What better way to express the longing for a voice that still rules millions of hearts. That night the voice fell silent.
It is fascinating to hear it from well-known raconteur of the golden era of Hindi film music, Annu Kapoor. He makes many such emotional stories his own by narrating them in an inimitable style that brings alive the time and those timeless tunes. A remarkable actor with several award-winning performances to his credit, Kapoor’s musical leanings came to the fore as the host of the popular television show Antakshari. A fine singer, he won a huge following for The Golden Era - With Annu Kapoor on the Mastiii channel. He continues to regale lovers of retro music with Suhana Safar on 92.7 Big FM.
Kapoor punctuates his recollections with his favourite Rafi songs. “Rafi saab was blessed to have worked with the finest composers such as C. Ramchandra, Naushad, Madan Mohan, Roshan, S.D. Burman, Jaidev, O.P. Nayyar, Lakshmikant Pyarelal and Kalyanji Anandji,” says Kapoor. “They came up with compositions that showcased his versatility; his ability to bring out the mood of the song to match the film’s character. Interestingly, he did not sing only for heroes. He lent his voice for comedians (‘Sar jo tera chakraye’ for Johnny Walker) and supporting actors. The lyricists of the era were also an integral part of his musical journey. Imagine his heart-warming voice without those soul-stirring verses.” Rafi’s oeuvre was diverse. It was an amazing mix of romantic (‘Aapke haseen rukh pe’), patriotic (Jahan dal dal par sone ki chidiya), bhajan (‘Sukh ke sabh saathi’), classical (‘Madhuban mein Radhika nache re’), festive (‘Tan rang lo ji aaj’), qawwali (‘Parda hai parda’), lullaby (‘Main gaon tum so jao’) and high-energy numbers for the dancing hero Shammi Kapoor.
His singing was not just about the voice, perfect enunciation and diction that came from his Kotla Sultan Singh (Punjab) roots made him a complete singer. He spent his early years in Lahore, which explained why he could lend a rare nazakat to the songs. He knew exactly how to convey the poetic expressions in the lyrics. His classical training meant that he understood the melodic details, navigated easily across octaves and impeccably held the tune. “A fine example is his rendition of ‘Man tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj’. Based on a traditional composition in raag Malkauns, this masterpiece by Naushad had lyrics by Shakeel Badayuni from the film Baiju Bawra .”
Seen here are top playback singers Lata, Asha, Manna Dey and Mohammed Fafi rehearsing for a marathon qawaali sequence in " Intezar ".
“ Resham si awaaz aur resham sa mizaj (silken voice and soft temperament),” is how Kapoor describes the singer. “What you heard is what he was. Everyone spoke of his politeness and humility. Of course, we heard a different Rafi when it came to Shammi Kapoor. ‘Chahe mujhe koi junglee kahe’ was so unlike the singer yet the sincerity came through in every line.”
He was for Shammi Kapoor what Kishore Kumar was for Rajesh Khanna and Mukesh for Raj Kapoor. These legendary singers were the voice behind the superstars. They held their own space in the music sphere, a distinct identity that has given their songs an eternity.”
Kapoor goes on to narrate an incident about how Rafi saab was disturbed when his trusted aide and driver Sultan could not tackle the left-hand drive Impala the singer had bought. “He felt uneasy about hiring a new driver. So he bought a taxi for Sultan,” laughs Kapoor.
He shared a good rapport with other singers and even sang for Kishore Kumar in a film.
“Even if there were differences, for instance over the royalty issue with Lata Mangeshkar, there was no animosity. The two stopped working together for sometime, till S.D. Burman teamed them up again and created ripples in our hearts with ‘Dil pukare aare aare.’
