Mohammad Rafi is an Indian playback singer, widely regarded as one of India’s greatest singers. He has recorded more than 7400 songs in various languages, out of which about 4,516 are Hindi songs and the rest are in Assamese, Konkani, Bhojpuri, English, Persian, Dutch, Spanish Telugu, Maithili, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi, Marathi, Bengali, ETC.
Wiki/Biography
Mohammad Rafi on 24 December 1924 (age 55; time of death) in the village of Kotla Sultan Singh, Punjab (near Amritsar). His zodiac sign is Capricorn.
Mohamed Rafi’s childhood photos with his father
He attended a local school in the village. He didn’t study much because he was interested in singing. He received classical music training from Ustad Barkat Ali Khan and Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan. He was also trained by Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan. He once worked in a relative’s barber shop and sang while working. Customers and his brother noticed his talent. Thereafter, his brother sent him to receive training under Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan.
family, caste and wife
Muhammad Rafi was born to Haji Ali Muhammad and Alaa Raki.
Mohammed Rafi with his father and children
He has five brothers namely Muhammad Safi, Muhammad Deen, Muhammad Ismail, Muhammad Ibrahim and Muhammad Siddique. He is the second oldest among all his brothers.
Mohamed Rafi and his brother
He has two sisters named Chirag Bibi and Reshma Bibi. He married for the first time to Bashira Bibi. Rafi has a son named Said with his first wife. In 1943, he married again, Bilquis Bano. With his second wife, he has three sons, Khalid, Hamid and Sahid, and three daughters, Parveen, Yash Yashmin and Nashrin.
Mohammed Rafi and his sons
Mohammed Rafi’s family
Mohamed Rafi’s family tree
Profession
He made his debut as a playback singer with Zeenat Begum in the song “Soniye Nee, Heeriye Nee” from the Punjabi film “Gul Baloch (1944)”. He made his debut in Bollywood as a playback singer with the song “Aji Dil Ho Kaabu Me” from the film “Gaon Ki Gori (1945)”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWfQ89GtGKg
He has worked with various music composers like Naushad, SD Burman, Shankar-Jaikishan, OP Nayyar, Ravi, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, etc.
famous songs
- Humko Tumse Ho Gaya Hai Pyaar
- Yechand Saroshan Chehra
dispute
- In the early 1960s, a dispute arose between Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi. Lata demands royalties for the songs they sing and asks Rafi to support her opinion. Instead of supporting her, Rafi did the opposite. Rafi said when a producer pays a fee and a singer requests a song, the singer does not share the royalties. As a result, Lata and Rafi didn’t sing together for about two or three years after that. Senior music director Jaikishan finally helped them get back together.
Mohammad Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and Jaikishan
- In 2012, Lata Mangeshkar said in an interview that she decided to sing with Rafi only after he wrote her an apology letter. After the incident, Rafi’s son Shahid called her behavior an act of humiliation against his father. He further added that if this is true, then she should show the letter in front of everyone and if she fails to do so, Shahid will file a case against her.
- Lata Mangeshkar and Rafi are embroiled in controversy over Lata’s entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. In a letter dated June 11, 1977, he questioned whether he had recorded more songs than Lata. After Rafi’s death, Guinness World Records clarified this fact and named her the “most recorded song” in 1991. Both Rafi and Rafi’s Guinness records were later deleted.
Awards
- Won a silver medal from Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (the first Prime Minister of independent India) on the first anniversary of India’s Independence Day in 1948.
- The song “Kya Hua Tera Wada” from the 1977 movie “Hum Kisise Kum Naheen” won the National Award
Film Audience Award
- Best Playback Singer for the song “Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho” from the 1960 film Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Mohamed Rafi accepts movie fare
- Best Playback Singer for the song “Teri Pyaari Pyaari Surat Ko” from the 1961 film Sasural
- Best Playback Singer for the song “Chahunga Main Tujhe” from the 1964 film “Dosti”
- Best Playback Singer for the song “Baharo Phool Barsao” from the 1966 film “Suraj”
- Best Playback Singer for the song “Dil Ke Jharoke Mein” from the 1968 film Brahmachari
- The song “Kya Hua Tera Wada” from the 1977 movie “Hum Kisise Kum Naheen” won the Best Playback Singer Award
favorite thing
- Movies: Mughal-e-Azam, Aradna, Guide, Paris by Night
- Color: brown, red, white
car collection
He owns Fiat Padmini and Impala.
Mohammed Rafi and his car
net worth
His net worth is estimated at $20-30 million (Rs. 139-208 crore).
die
Mohammad Rafi died of a heart attack in Bombay on July 31, 1980. He was buried at the Juhu Muslim Cemetery, and nearly ten thousand people attended his funeral. The Indian government announced two days of public mourning in his memory. In 2010, his tomb was demolished to make way for a new tomb. His fans pay tribute to the legend by marking a coconut tree closest to his grave and visit him twice a year on his birthday and death anniversary.
Burial of Mohammed Rafi
fact
- He studied classical music from Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jeevan Lal Mattoo and Feroz Nizami.
- In 1941, Rafi was invited by All India Radio to sing.
- Apart from singing in Indian languages, he has also sung in foreign languages such as English, Persian, Arabic, Sinhala, Creole and Dutch.
- In 1944, he moved to Bombay and lived with Hameed Sahab in a rented 10 x 10 feet room in Bhendi Bazar area.
- Rafi appeared in the song “Tera Jalwa Jis Ne Dekha” from the movie “Laila Majnu (1976)” and “Wo Apni Yaad Dilane Ko” from the movie “Jugnu (1973)”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG4hu2EqD7k
- Rafi regards KL Saigal as his idol and is influenced by general manager Durrani. He even followed their singing style early in his career.
- After the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, Husanlal Bhagatram-Rajendra Krishnan and Rafi’s team composed a song called “Suno Suno Ae Duniyawalon, Bapuji Ki Amar Kahaani” overnight. Later, Rafi was invited by Jawaharlal Nehru to sing at his house.
- His song “Tu Kahin Aas Paas Hai Dost” for composer Laxmikant-Pyarelal was recorded hours before his death.
- In a 2010 poll conducted by Outlook magazine, Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar were named the most popular playback singers. The same survey rated “Man Re Tu Kahe Na (Chitralekha (1964))” as the number one song and “Tere Mere Sapne Ab” as the number one song. Ek Rang Hai (Guide (1965))” and “Din Dhal Jaye Haye” as the second one.
- The “Padma Shri Mohammed Rafi Chowk” in Bandra suburb of Mumbai is named after him.
Padma Shri Mohammad Rafi Bazaar
- The official biography tilts, Mohammad Rafi: The Golden Voice of the Screen, written by Shahid Rafi and Sujata Dev, launched on the occasion of his 91st birth anniversary.
- Mohamed Rafi’s nickname is Fico.
- At the age of 13, Rafi made her first public appearance in Lahore, singing a song by KL Saigal.
- When he was 10 years old, there used to be a dervish (a Muslim (or generally Hindu) religious ascetic who lived solely on alms) who would wander through his village singing. Muhammad was fascinated by Fakir’s singing, and he often followed Fakir to listen to him sing. Dervishes had a great influence on his singing.
- Rafi’s father objected to his singing and often beat him when Rafi talked about becoming a singer.
- According to Noshad, Rafi came to him with a letter of recommendation from his father. Rafi first worked for Naushad in the film “Hindustan Ke Hum Hain” in the film “Pehle Aap (1944)”.
- Noshad was Rafi’s mentor and the person who helped Rafi become one of the preeminent singers in the Indian film industry.
Mohammad Rafi and Noshad
- According to Rafi, one of his favorite songs is “Suhani Raat Dhal Chuki” sung by him.
- According to a poll conducted by BBC Asia Network, “Bahaaron Phool Barsao” has been named the most popular Hindi song.
- In an interview with the BBC, Rafi admitted that he cried while recording the song “Babul Ki Duaen Leti Ja”.
- His son Shahid Rafi founded Mohammed Rafi Academy on July 31, 2010, on the 30th anniversary of his father’s death. It provides training to individuals in Indian classical and contemporary music.
- On the occasion of his 93rd birthday, Google displayed a commemorative doodle on its homepage.
Mohamed Rafi’s Google Doodle
- He enjoys playing badminton and carrom.
Mohamed Rafi plays badminton
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education