It was nothing but melody when Mohammed Rafi lent his voice. Even ordinary lyricists came across as poets because Rafi’s divine voice gave an identity to their work. He boosted the image of average actors. Rafi’s singing added to the success of many films. For his popularity it was a pity that it took such a long time for a biography on probably the finest male singers in Hindi film industry. All credit to Sujata Dev for undertaking the gigantic task of gathering information on Rafi, putting it through a fine sieve, and crafting a tribute which should gladden the great singer’s fan club.
Why did she pick Rafi? “For me Rafi Sahab was a natural choice,” asserts Sujata. “My grandmother introduced me to the singing of Mohammed Rafi, in my early childhood, describing the soulful voice as God's voice. I grew up Listening to Rafi Sahab over the years, and even without realising I fell in love with his melodious voice. As destiny would have, I met Shahid Rafi through a common friend and then the whole idea of this biography evolved.
The book was a task. “The challenges were many... Rafi Sahab had left for his heavenly abode in 1980. Shahid Bhai (son) was just 17 years old when Rafi Sahab breathed his last. Finding information about his early childhood, his days in Lahore, his initial career, tracking his footsteps was extremely difficult as most of his relatives and associates were no longer there.” says Sujata, reflecting on the book, published by Om Book International.
Motivation came from encouraging words by composer Pyarelal. “Shahid Bhai and I visited Kotla Sultan Singh, in Punjab the birth place of Rafi Sahab; here we met his childhood friends Kundan Singh and Sardar Bakshish Singh Samra. They gave us a first-hand account of the early years of Rafi's life and details of his family. We also visited the school in which Rafi and his friends rhymed together and played chhupam chhupi. Then I was lucky to trace Siddique Chacha, Rafi Sahab's younger brother in Lahore.”
Sujata traces Rafi’s career through anecdotes from his life and interviews with people known to him. “Research was the toughest part. Many stories and figures came to me from different sources but to authenticate them was not easy. The research and analysis of his vast repertoire itself took two long years. I met over hundred people from the industry before I could complete this book. The DVD accompanying the book has many of these interviews.” The exhaustive work on the life of this magnanimous legend took Sujata about four and half years.
The legendry Dilip Kumar writes in his foreword, “He was a humble, unpretentious man who remained unaffected by all the adulation and reverence he received from the millions who listened to his songs. It was always a marvel for me when I listened to his effortless rendering of the compositions of the recordings. He was a karmayogi in the real sense of the word.”
Sujata paints a delightful picture of Rafi’s world in the studios and on stages doing live concerts across the world. Some rare pictures of Rafi performing on stage and in conversation with his composers, lyricists and co-singers make the book a worthy collection.
The current generation of singers come across as Rafi’s biggest fans. Sujata notes, “In the section ‘Rafi Lives on’, some of the eminent singers of today have spoken of the Rafi-school of singing and why it has transcended time and generation to maintain its popularity. The fact that Rafi songs are the most frequently downloaded in digital devices has been well brought out in the discussions with the modern singers.”
Rafi lent his voice to three generation of actors, ranging from Bharat Bhushan, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Johnny Walker, Mehmood to Shammi Kapoor, Dharmendra, Rajendra Kumar to Jeetendra and Rishi Kapoor. He earned the respect of his co-singers and some of the reputed names of his era were among his greatest admirers.
The fan in Sujata emerges strongly in her effusive remark that, “He was down to earth and would abide by what the music directors wanted him to deliver, never imposing his opinions. Music directors even today give example of Rafi, ‘A music director’s delight’. From the industry people I discovered the humane aspect of this great talent. He was a ‘Farishta’ (angel). Knowing Mohammed Rafi as an angel was the best part of this wonderful journey.”
Sujata claims that Rafi, in his four decades of outstanding career, sang 5063 songs with “innumerable music directors whose career got established because of him. The legendary music director Naushad, who was responsible for giving Rafi a foothold in the film industry, referred to him as ‘the emperor of playback singing.’” Rafi indeed was one.
