Today is the Birth Anniversary of the greatest singer: Mohammad Rafi.
I am putting up Part II of a post that I published seven months ago: Tribute to Mohammad Rafi – My Own Singing – Part I.
There has been no singer, male or female, like Mohammad Rafi. With his singing, he conveyed to us, what can one do to lyrics and composition simply by singing with his kind of passion, modulation, range, style and aura. Indeed, he made many songs immortal by just singing them.
Irrespective of the awards and honours bestowed on other singers, more often than not due to political reasons, many like me feel that Mohammad Rafi was beyond awards including Bharat Ratna.
Therefore, to be able to sing the songs earlier sung by Mohammad Rafi is a blessing and honour. This doesn’t, by any stretch of imagination, mean that anyone of us can match his prowess. It only means that we can take lots of joy and pride in the fact that we lived in the era when he was alive and fondly sing his songs to relive their magic.
Song #7 – Zara sun haseena – e – nazneen
As always, I want to start with my favourite poet and lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni. This blog has more posts on him than on any other lyricist.
The song is from the 1963 Niranjan movie titled: Kaun Apna Kaun Praya starring the living legend Waheeda Rehman and Vijay Kumar. Indeed, it is Vijay Kumar (Anil) who is lip syncing this song to Waheeda Rehman (Asha Devi) in the voice of Mohammad Rafi.
The song was composed by Ravi in the raag of my place in the hills: Raag Pahadi.
Have a look at the most beautiful lyrics:
ज़रा सुन हसीना ऐ नाज़नीं
मेरा दिल तुझ ही पे निसार है
तेरे दम से ही मेरे दिलरुबा
मेरी ज़िंदगी में बहार है
हुई जब से मुझ पे तेरी नज़र
मैं हूँ अपने आप से बेख़बर
हुआ जब से दिल में तेरा गुज़र
मुझे चैन है न क़रार है
तेरे हुस्न से जो सँवर गई
वो फ़िज़ाएं मुझको अज़ीज़ हैं
तेरी ज़ुल्फ़ से जो लिपट गईं
मुझे उन हवाओं से प्यार है
ये हसीन फूलों की डालियाँ
तुझे दे रही है सलामियाँ
मुझे क्यों न रश्क़ हो ऐ सनम
तेरे साथ फ़स्ल-ए-बहार है
Please enjoy: Zara sun haseena e nazneen….
Song #8 – Ek haseen shaam ko dil mera kho gaya
The best of Madan Mohan’s songs were penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan, Rajinder Krishan and Kaifi Azmi. This was penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan.
It is from the 1967 DD Kashyap movie Dulhan Ek Raat Ki, which was based upon Thomas Hardy’s Tess of d’Ubervilles.
Nutan (Nirmala) was in the title role, ably supported by Dharmendra (Ashok) and Rehman (Ranjit).
The song has not just heart-warming composition by Madan Mohan but really beautiful lyrics:
इक हसीन शाम को दिल मेरा खो गया
पहले अपना हुआ करता था
अब किसीका हो गया
मुद्दतों से आरज़ू थी
मेरे दिल मे कोई आये
सूनी सूनी ज़िन्दगी में
एक शम्मा झिलमिलाये
वो जो आये तो रोशन ज़माना हो गया
इक हसीन …
मेरे दिल के कारवां को
ले चला है आज कोई
शबनमी सी जिसकी आँखें
थोड़ी जागी थोड़ी सोयी
उनको देखा तो मौसम सुहाना हो गया
इक हसीन …
Please enjoy: Ek haseen shaam ko dil mera kho gaya….
Song #9 – Ajahun na aaye balma sawn beeta jaaye
The comedy pair of Mehmood and Shubha Khote was a pair to watch. The comic chemistry between them was something to be seen.
Composers and music directors vied with one another to make songs for them; some of these being based on raagas.
And, who could sing classical songs better than Mohammad Rafi? Indeed, he was the best in most genre’s of songs; but, particularly delighted us in raaga based songs; eg, Man tadpat Hari darshan ko aaj in Raag Malkauns, O duniya ke rakhwale in Raag Darbari Kanada, and Unake khayal aaye to aate chale gaye in Raag Gara.
This was penned by Hasrat Jaipuri and composed by Shankar Jaikishan in Raag Madhuwanti, Taal Kherava. The only other song that I know of, which was composed in the same raag and taal, was Rasmein ulfat ko nibhayen to nibhayen kaise by Madan Mohan.
This song is from the 1964 Hrishikesh Mukherjee movie Saanjh Aur Savera starring Meena Kumari and Guru Dutt besides the comedy duo of Mehmood and Shubha Khote.
Here are the lyrics:
अजहुँ ना आए बालमा, सावन बीता जाए
हाय रे सावन बीता जाए
नींद भी अंखियन द्वार न आए
तोसे मिलन की आस भी जाए
आई बहार खिले फुलवा
मोरे सपने कौन सजाए
आ … अजहुं …
चांद को बदरा गरवा लगाए
और भी मोरे मन ललचाए
यार हसीन गले लग जा
मोरी उम्र गुज़रती जाए
आ … अजहुं …
This is a duet. The original was sung by Mohammad Rafi for Mehmood and Suman Kalyanpur for Shubha Khote.
Please enjoy my rendition of: Ajahun na aaye balma….
Song #10 – Jo guzr rahi hai mujhpe use kaise main batayun
This is from the 1968 Vinod Kumar movie Mere Huzoor starring Raaj Kumar as Nawab Salim, Mala Sinha as Sultanat and Jeetendra as Akhtar Hussain Akhtar.
Salim had been in love with Sultanat. However, Akhtar had earlier saved the life of Salim and the latter had invited him to his palatial bungalow in Lucknow. Akhtar, in the train journey to Lucknow, sees and falls in love with Sultanat, a co-passenger.
This song was sung by Salim when Akhtar and Sultanat break the news about their impending wedding.
I found the lyrics, penned by Hasrat Jaipuri, as most apt for my wife, Lyn, being in advanced state of Alzheimer’s whilst celebrating our wedding anniversary last year.
Here are the lyrics:
जो गुज़र रही है मुझ पर उसे कैसे मैं बताऊँ -२
वो ख़ुशी मिली है मुझको मैं ख़ुशी से मर न जाऊँ -२
मेरे दिल की धड़कनों का ये सलाम तुमको पहुँचे
मैं तुम्हारा हमनशीं हूँ ये पयाम तुमको पहुँचे
उसे बन्दगी मैं समझूँ जो तुम्हारे काम आऊँ
वो ख़ुशी मिली है …
मेरे दिल की महफ़िलों में वो मुक़ाम है तुम्हारा
के ख़ुदा के बाद लब पर बस नाम है तुम्हारा
मेरी आरज़ू यही है मैं तुम्हारे गीत गाऊँ
वो ख़ुशी मिली है …
मेरी ज़िन्दगी में हमदम कभी ग़म न तू उठाना
कभी आएँ जो अँधेरे मुझे प्यार से बुलाना
मैं चिराग़ हूँ वफ़ा का मैं अँधेरे जगमगाऊँ
वो ख़ुशी मिली है …
Please enjoy my rendition of: Jo guzr rahi hai mujhpe use kaise main batayun…
Song #11 – Jaan-e-bahar husn tera bemisaal hai
Talking about the wedding anniversary, here is a song that I sang to Lyn, totally extempore, last year when we were cutting the anniversary cakes.
I recall the lyrics of most of the songs of my favourite poet and lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni. And so is this song. It was composed by Ravi. Shakeel and Ravi mastered songs describing the Husn (Beauty) of a woman. Indeed, Shakeel received two out of his three Filmfare Awards (the only known hat-trick) for such songs with Ravi: Chaudvinh ka chand ho, and Husn waale tera jawab nahin.
I remember having sung this to Lyn on our wedding night too.
The song is from the 1963 BS Ranga movie Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya starring Shammi Kapoor and B Saroja Devi; a guy from the North and a lady from the South, exactly like me and Lyn.
Here are the most beautiful lyrics:
जान-ए-बहार हुस्न तेरा बेमिसाल है
वल्लाह कमाल है, अरे वल्लाह कमाल है
आई है मेरे पास तू इस आन-बान से
उतरी हो जैसे कोई परी आस्मान से
मैं क्या कहूँ खुशी से अजब मेरा हाल है
हाय ये तेरी मस्त अदाएं ये बाकपन -२
किरणों को भी मैं छूने न दूँगा ये गोरा तन
तुझसे नज़र मिलाए ये किसकी मजाल है
मैं खुशनसीब हूँ के तुझे मैंने पा लिया -२
तूने करम किया मुझे अपना बना लिया
ऐसे मिले हैं हम के बिछड़ना मुहाल है
Please enjoy my rendition of: Jaan-e-bahar husn tera bemisaal hai…
Song #12 – Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo…
The primary reason for me to learn singing was to be able to sing to my wife, Lyn (short for Marilyn) suffering from Alzheimer’s. My biggest reward is her smile and look of recognition.
Lyrics are the most important part of the song for me. The part of the lyrics that I find most apt for her, in this song, is:
मैं अपनी जान भी दे दूँ तो ऐतबार नहीं
के तुम से बढ़के मुझे ज़िंदगी से प्यार नहीं
The song (ghazal) is from the 1960 Hemen Gupta movie Babar starring Gajanan Jagirdar, Azra and Sulochana Choudhury. You may recall Hemen Gupta from two of his celebrated movies: Anand Math and Kabuliwala.
This song was penned by Sahir Ludhianvi, composed by Roshan and sung very beautifully by Mohammad Rafi.
Here are the lyrics:
तुम एक बार मुहब्बत का इम्तहान तो लो
मेरे जुनूँ मेरी वहशत का इम्तहान तो लो
तुम एक बार …
सलाम-ए-शौक़ पे रंजिश भरा पयाम न दो
मेरे ख़ोलूस को फ़िरास-ओ-हवस का नाम न दो
मेरी वफ़ा की हक़ीकत का इम्तहान तो लो
तुम एक बार …
न तख़्त-ओ-ताज न लाल-ओ-गुहर की हसरत है
तुम्हारे प्यार तुम्हारी नज़र की हसरत है
तुम अपने हुस्न की अज़मत का इम्तिहान तो लो
तुम एक बार …
मैं अपनी जान भी दे दूँ तो ऐतबार नहीं
के तुम से बढ़के मुझे ज़िंदगी से प्यार नहीं
यूँ ही सही मेरी चाहत का इम्तिहान तो लो
तुम एक बार …
Please enjoy my rendition of: Tum ek baar mohabbat ka imtihaan to lo…
In the second part, once again, I have given you a wide range of songs of the greatest singer Mohammad Rafi. I hope you liked my selection.
So as not to make the post longer than 30 minutes of your listening pleasure, I give you only six songs at a time.
Please await songs of Part III.
