MOHAMMED RAFI PROGRAMME AT GUJARATI SEVA MANDAL

Date: 8th July 2007

I turned up quite late for this event. In fact I missed 4 songs from the start of the programme. However, Subash Bhatt was kind enough to supply me with a list of all the songs that were played on that day.

The ones I missed were:
Song Movie Name Music Director Year
1). Kehke Bhi Na Aaye Tum Safar C.Ramachandra 1946
2). Yahaan Badla Wafa Ka Jugnu Feroze Nizami 1947
3). Watan Ki Raah Mein Shaheed Ghulam Haider 1948
4). Aye Mohabbat Unse Milne Ka Bazaar Shyam Sunder 1949

Even the song ‘Mohabat Ke Dhoke Mein’ from Pyar Ki Jeet (1949) was nearing its end when I made my way inside the Mandal Hall. This was followed by ‘Ek Jhoot Hain Jiska’ from Jaadu (1951). The next song a duet with Lata ‘Hum Tum Yeh Bahar’ from Bahar (1952) must have come as a relief even for the audience after some 4-5 sober songs. The next song was the popular ‘Man Tarpath Hari Darshan Ko Aaj’ from Baiju Bawra. Then another duet with Lata ‘Sun Mere Sajnaa’ from Aansu (1953) was played. Then it was ‘Hum Laaye Hain Toofan Se’ from Jagruti (1954) which followed.

A lesser heard number ‘Daulat Ke Jhoote Nashe’ from Oonchi Haveli (1955) was played next. The S. N. Tripathy tuned ‘Parvar Digar E Alam’ was the next song to follow from the Fantasy film Hatim Tai (1956). The genre then shifted to a duet ‘Dil Ka Na Karna Aithbaar Koi’ from Halaku (1956). Then the audience was treated to the lovely ‘Zara Saamne Tho Aao Chaliye’ from Janam Janam Ke Phere (1957). Next followed ‘Do Ghadi Woh Jo Paas Aa Baithe’ from Gateway Of India (1957). ‘Mohabaat Zinda Rehti Hain’ from Changez Khan (1957) was the last song before the intermission.

When we returned back to our seats after the intermission we were treated to the lovely solo ‘Zindagi Bhar Gham Judaai Ka’ from Miss Bombay (1957). This was followed by the O.P. Nayyar tuned Rafi-Asha duet ‘Raat Bhar Ka Mehmaan Andhera’ from Sone Ki Chidiya (1958). Lata joined Rafi this time around for the duet ‘Chaahe Paas Ho Chaahe Door Ho’ from Samrat Chandragupt’ (1957) which was the next song. It was Lata again for ‘Kuhu Kuhu Bhole Koyalia’ from Suvarna Sundari (1958).

Then Nanji Bahadur came on stage to recollect his early days along with Mohammed Rafi. He recollected how he along with Rafi used to drink Lassi for 5 annas. The cost was shared by them equally. At that time Nanji was getting 100 Rs per month.

Once, Ghulam Haider had called upon Nanji and Rafi for an audition for his film ‘Beheram Khan’ (1946). Ghulam Haider rejected both of them after hearing the auditions. Nanji then went on to hum ‘Badi Der Bhayi’. He informed us that he was one of the musicians for this composition. And before Rafi was an established singer he had sung many a chorus songs along with Rafi. The last song was the haunting ‘Saathi Na Koi Manzil’ from Bambai Ka Babu (1960).