Mohammed Rafi & Ravi - (No.1) - film Chaudhvin Ka Chand

"Chaudhvin Ka Chand ho ya aftab ho jo bhi ho tum khuda ki kasam lajawab ho"

This gem of a song is from the 1960 film, Chaudhvin ka Chand and the song is picturised on Guru Dutt, the lyricist being Shakeel Badayuni.

This top of the list romantic song by Mohammed Rafi is an all time classic, for which he was given Filmfare award for best male playback singer. The film coming after the box office disaster of Guru Dutt's earlier film "Kaagaz ke Phool", was a box office success and saved Guru Dutt's production studio from becoming bankrupt. Shakeel Badyuni did a wonderful job in the selection of urdu words in describing the beauty of the heroine Waheeda Rehman, which speaks of his literary and poetic excellence. The rendering of the song by Mohammed Rafi in his velvety voice gives the listeners goose bumps. On top of this, Ravi's music is sublime to say the least. The song retains its popularity even today.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

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Mohammed Rafi & SD Burman - duet - (No.7) film Meri Surat Teri Ankhen

        "Tere bin soone nayan hamare, tere bin soone"

This gem of a duet is from the 1963 film " Meri Surat Teri Aankhen". The film is based on Bengali novel "Ulka". The song is picturised on Ashok Kumar and Asha Parekh. The song is sung by Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar. The lyricist is Shailendra [Shankardas kesarilal].

This classical number once again proves the range of legendry Mohammed Rafi and the combination with Lata Mangeshkar gives this song such a quality which transports one into a world of solace and peace. This sublime beauteous melody is the guaranteed relaxation for the body and mind.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

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Mohammed Rafi & SD Burman - duet - (No.6) : Film Jewel Thief

"Dil Pukare aare aare aare, abhi na ja mere saathi"

This gem of a song from 1967 film " Jewel Thief" is sung by Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar and is picturised on DevAnand and Vyjayanthimala, the lyricist being Majrooh Sultanpuri.

This song was shot in picturesque Gangtok, before the state of Sikkim became part of Indian Union. The music by SD Burman is folk based and rendered by the singers with a romantic feel and fully justified by the actors on screen.

Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar had a feud over the issue of royalty for singers. Lata Mangeshkar wanted part of royalty to be given to singers while Mohammed Rafi was not in favour. The feud deprived listeners of duets by the great singers for a long period of six years. Ultimately Jaikishan of Shankar Jaikishan duo helped them patch up for a movie called Palkon Ki Chhaon Mein. However the movie was shelved. So this way this song from "Jewel Thief" became their first song together after the patch up.

Here is the video. Enjoy! 

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MOHAMMED RAFI & SD BURMAN - SOLO - 15 PRECIOUS GEMS IN ONE VAULT

MY CHOICE OF SONGS FOR THIS COLLECTION - A TRIBUTE TO MOHAMMED RAFI & SD BURMAN DUO

 [1] Khoya khoya chand khula aasmaan 

This one is the crowning glory of all the Rafi songs put together. The song is from the 1960 film " Kala Bazar" and  is picturised on Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. The lyricist is Shailendra. 

This song was created when all the planets in the solar system were in perfect alignment and heavenly blessings were being showered. Such a song is created once in a life time. In my opinion if you want to spoil the carrier of any new singer or for that matter any talented singer, ask him to sing this song on stage in front of an audience. And phew! he will be doomed because this is impossible to recreate. Dev Anand has done full justice to the song on screen.

Here is the video. Enjoy with eyes closed!

[2] Hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukare chale gaye

This gem is from 1958 film "Kala Pani"and is picturised on Dev Anand. Lyricist is Majrooh Sultanpuri. The song has been sung by Mohammed Rafi in a soft rythmic style, which only he could do, with minimal soft music in background. The initial humming is impeccable. The modulation in Rafi's voice is heavenly. Its pure bliss when you hear this song with eyes closed and headphones on. The style and mannerisms of Dev Anand are exclusive and a treat to watch. Simply brilliant! 

Here is the video.  Enjoy!

[3] Toon kahan yeh bata is nasheeli raat mein

This gem is from 1963 film " Tere ghar ke saamne", the song being picturised on Dev Anand and Nutan. Lyricist is Hasrat Jaipuri.

 Wow! What a song! The melody, the romance, the style, the mannerisms and foot tapping music. The ooyeee by Rafi in this song is intoxicating. Dev Anand, the quintessential romantic, carries the song like no other can. S.D.Burman has given maximum number of musical solo masterpieces with Dev Anand only.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

[4]  Din dhal jaye haye raat na jaaye

This gem is from the 1965 film "Guide" and is picturised on Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman.The lyricist is Shailendra. 

The first line of the song "din dhal jaye" was written by Hasrat Jaipuri, the film's original lyricist. Dev Anand and Vijay Anand did not like the line and wanted Hasrat to drop it, which he declined. The brothers then asked Shailendra to take over as lyricist. Shailendra, unhappy with being the second choice quoted a very high fee to which both agreed  and hence Shailendra wrote all the songs for the film. However ironically, he still kept the Hasrat Jaipuri's offending line and the song became an all time hit.

The music in this highly successful film is one of the best by SD Burman. Burman Da became sick while composing for the film, but Vijay Anand and Dev Anand opted to wait for his recovery, rather than taking someone else. The film though having some exquisite numbers, failed to get the best music filmfare award, which was given to Shankar Jaikishan for the film "Suraj". The film was India's official entry at Oscars in 1966. Rafi's melancholic voice with soft music in this song makes it an iconic song.

Here is the video. Watch it by clicking on its YouTube link. Enjoy!

                     

                                                

                                

[5] Kya se kya ho gaya bewafa tere pyar mein

This gem of a song is from the 1965 film " Guide" and is picturised on Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. The  lyricist is Shailendra.

Chetan Anand , Dev and Vijay Anand's elder brother, wanted to cast Priya Rajvansh instead of Waheeda Rehman because she spoke better english  as the film was being made in both hindi and english, but Dev Anand refused to cast anyone but Waheeda. Waheeda took some english speaking lessons for the english version. The performance and the dances of Waheeda Rehman later became iconic and are remembered till date as few of the finest ones.

The famous song " aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai" was shot in Chittorgarh fort in Rajasthan. In one of the shots, her reflection is seen in the mirror, which was inspired by the legend of Alauddin Khilji catching a glimpse of Rani Padmini in the mirror.

The song has been soulfully sung by Rafi and has been exquisitely shot with lavish sets and elegant dance movemenets.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

[6] Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain

This gem of a song is from the 1965 film " Guide" and is picturised on Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman.

 This was Dev Anand's first film  in color, all the films before this being in black and white.The film is based on a book, written by R.K. Narayan, who incidentally is the brother of famous cartoonist R.K. Laxman. Interestingly the film was made in both english and hindi. The english version of the film was called "The Guide", was directed by American Tad Danielewski  but the  film never saw light of day till it was screened at 2007 Cannes film festival, 42 years after it was made. The hindi version on the other hand was a block buster and it remains till date one of the iconic Indian films.

This song has been sung by Rafi in a very fine romantic voice and has a pleasing melodious music to back it up. Waheeda Rehman gives classic expressions of a girl, who is confused, insecure , reluctant yet longing- a real treat to watch.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

[7] Dil mein ik jaane tamanna ne jagah payee hai

This gem of a song is from a lesser known film, made in 1964, by the genius Bimal Roy, called " Benazir". 

The song is picturised on Shashi Kapoor and Tanuja. I sincerely wish Shashi Kapoor could have performed better to do justice to Rafi's efforts. The lyricist is Shakeel Badayuni. The hummable melody of this song is exquisite, to say the least.

Here is  the video. Enjoy by clicking on the YouTube link!

[8] Dil ka bhanwar kare pukar pyar ka raag suno

This gem is from 1963 film " Tere ghar ke saamne", the song being picturised on Dev Anand and Nutan. Lyricist is Hasrat Jaipuri.

The song is picturised at Qutub Minar and is perhaps the last song to be picturised in Qutub Minar as the entry inside was banned soon afterwards, following a stampede of school children. Although a  part of the song is picturised outside the Qutub, main portion of the song is picturised as if  inside the Qutub. As the inside of Qutub is too cramped , it was picturised in a set at Mehboob studio, Bombay. Director Vijay Anand is also seen in the song, inside the Qutub as a visitor.

The playful and romantic Dev Anand and coy Nutan are a treat to watch as Rafi's voice magically fits into Dev Anand's persona to create a magical song. The "oooooo" by Rafi in the song is too good to be true.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

[9] Sun le toon dil ki sada, pyar se pyar saja  

This gem is from 1963 film " Tere ghar ke saamne", the song being picturised on Dev Anand and Nutan. Lyricist is Hasrat Jaipuri.

The singing by Rafi in the song is fantastic with so many voice variations, capturing the mood of the moment. The song has been shot at various angles with Dev Anand and Nutan speaking with their eyes. Composer SD Burman gave so many classy numbers for this single film. 

Incidentally Tere ghar ke samne was the first and last film of actress Zarine Katrak, who later married actor Sanjay Khan in 1966 and quit acting. It has both happy and sad versions.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

[10] Saathi na koi manzil, diya hai na koi mehfil

This gem is from the 1960 film "Bombai ka babu" and the song is picturised on Dev Anand and Suchitra Sen. The lyricist is Majrooh Sultanpuri.

The film was based on the bold theme of incest relationship in those times. Although not a box office success, the film's songs and music got critical acclaim and is heard with pleasure even to this day. This song has been sung with a heavy heart and truly reflects the sad and forlorn feelings of the character. Such was the mastery of Mohammed Rafi in bringing out the emotions with the song, one could actually visualise the scene even without watching. This quality of Rafi was exclusive and has not been found in any singer till date.

Here is the video. Watch it by clicking on the youtube link. Enjoy!

[11] Aise to  na dekho ki hum ko nasha ho jaye

This gem of a song is from 1965 film " Teen Deviyan", the song being picturised on Dev Anand and Nanda . The lyricist is Majrooh Sultanpuri. 

The film was shot mostly in black and white with few scenes in color. It was made in Hindi as well as English. The english version was called "Oh boys and three girls", though this version never saw the light of the day. The music director in Hindi version was SD Burman and in the English version was RD Burman. This song has been sung by Mohammed Rafi in a very soft mellifluous romantic voice. Such is the modulation in his voice that one is awestruck  by this quality. 

While in our younger days, we took this voice for granted, but now when we look back and hear his songs, one is really astonished as to how could he effortlessly sing such numbers. In fact he reduces the job of the performing artist to a considerable extent by giving emotions in the song itself.

Here is the video. enjoy.

[12] Akela hoon main  is duniya mein, koi saathi hai to mera saaya

This gem of a song is from the 1962 film "Baat ek raat ki" and is picturised on Dev anand, the lyricist being Majrooh Sultanpuri.

The film had three hit songs, one each by Mohammed Rafi, Hemant Kumar and Manna de. This song is picturised on Dev Anand, wearing a cap and riding a bicycle in a carefree manner, which only he could do and act. The song has a very hummable tune and Rafi's voice as usual is adapted perfectly to the picturisation. The song was quite popular with students in those days, while riding bicycles, commuting to their colleges.

Here is the video.  Enjoy!

 

[13] Apni to har aah ik toofan hai oopar wala jaan kar anjaan hai

 The song is from the 1960 film " Kala Bazar" and  is picturised on Dev Anand and Waheeda Rehman. The lyricist is Shailendra.

The song is sung by Mohammed Rafi in a soft velvety voice and the tune is utterly hummable. Kala Bazar was perhaps the only film in which all three Anand brothers have acted together. 

Greogory peck of Hollywood fame is also seen in the film as there is a clip of film  Mother India's premiere in which he is seen along with many Indian stars who make a guest apperance. Dev Anand  was also referred to as Gregory Peck of India.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

[14] Dekhi zamane ki yaari, bichhare sabhi baari baari

This classic song is from the 1959 film" Kagaz Ke Phool" and is picturised on Guru Dutt. The lyricist is Kaifi Azmi.

The intensity of the song along with its picturisation is classic, to which only Mohammad Rafi could do justic to. The great Rafi infuses  pathos in the song, which is astonishing. This film was the first cinemascope film. The film although a superflop of its time is now considered to be a classic, which was way ahead of its times. Some say the film reflects to some extent Guru Dutt's own life story. The film was the last for Guru Dutt as director.

Here is the video. Enjoy!                                                

[15] Jinhe naaz hai hind par woh kahan hain

This classic song is from the 1957 film " Pyasa" and is picturised on Guru Dutt, the lyricist being Sahir Ludhianvi.

This masterpiece of song was sung by Mohammed Rafi by injecting tremendous pathos which shatters the conscience of every listener. The lyrics penned by Sahir Ludhianvi were revolutionary by any standard. "Jinhe naaz hai hind par woh kahan hain" was a satire on Nehru's India and on his quote "Mujhe hind par naaz hai".

The song was initially recorded in the voice of legendry singer Manna Dey but was ultimately recorded in the voice of greatest of all Mohammed Rafi. Manna Dey has himself acknowledged on record that the quality and range of Rafi's singing is better and unmatched.

Here are two videos, one by Mohammed Rafi [seen by clicking on the YouTube link] and the other by Manna Dey, of the same song. Listen to both versions and decide yourself. One need not say anything!!

                                                                                      

P.S.: The videos used in this blog have been taken from YouTube and used only for entertainment purposes. The copyrights of all the videos remain with the original owners.

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Mohammed Rafi & SD Burman - duet - (No.5) : film Bombai Ka Babu

"Deewana mastana hua dil, jaane kahan ho ke bahar aayee re"

 This gem of a duet is sung by Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle and is from 1960 film " Bombai Ka Babu" and is picturised on Dev Anand and Suchitra Sen, the lyricist being Majrooh Sultanpuri.

The combination of Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhosle in this song has the naughtiness of Asha's voice and calming effect of Rafi's voice. The music by SD Burman is intoxicating and one starts swaying with the flow of music.

Suchitra Sen, the versatile Bengali actress acted in few Hindi films as well. Her first hindi film was "Devdas" and other notable films were "Aandhi" and "Mamta". Bombai Ka Babu though an offbeat film, was not a commercial success. Suchitra Sen was a Padma shree awardee actress and her daughter Moon Moon Sen and grand daughters Raima Sen and Riya Sen are also an actresses.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

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Mohammed Rafi & SD Burman - duet - (No.4) : film Pyasa

 "Hum aap ki aankhon mein is dil ko basa dein to"

This duet by Mohammed Rafi & Geeta Dutt is from 1957 film "Pyasa". The song is picturised on Guru Dutt and Mala Sinha, the lyricist being Sahir Ludhianvi

An immensely popular song of its time from a commercially unsusccessful film .The song is picturised as a dream sequence. The female singer Geeta Dutt was incidentally actor director Guru Dutt's wife. They had three children together but Guru Dutt later got romantically involved with his protege Waheeda Rehman and supposedly commited suicide in 1964. Geeta Dutt went into nervous breakdown and died of Cirrhosis of liver in 1972 at the age of 41.

Her voice really had a unique tonal quality which we normally refer to as "Khanakti aawaz" in Hindi . This fluid quality of her voice made her quite popular.  Inspite of her personal problems she managed to give some terrific songs. Mohammed Rafi's voice as usual is smooth as silk. This is one of those evergreen duets.

Here is the video. Enjoy!

                               

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Mohammed Rafi & SD Burman - duet - (No.3) : film Kala Pani

"Achha ji main haari chalo maan jao na"

 This duet by Mohammed Rafi & Asha Bhosle is from 1958 film " Kala Pani" and is picturised on Dev Anand and Madhu Bala. The lyricist is Majrooh Sultanpuri.

Seeing is believing. Madhu Bala, the paragon of beauty and effortless natural acting. How can one say a thousand words with one expression,! The song is perfect blend of romance, chemistry and sensuality. In this song you can see masters at work, be it director, actor, lyricist, singer or cinematographer. Everything the present day cinema schools could teach.

Here is the video. Enjoy

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