Biography
The remarkable journey of Mohammed Rafi from a small village in Punjab to becoming the golden voice of Indian cinema.
Early Life
Mohammed Rafi was born on December 24, 1924, in Kotla Sultan Singh, a village near Majitha in Amritsar district of Punjab, British India. He was the second eldest of six brothers in a Punjabi Bhatti Jat Muslim family. His father was Allah Rakhi and his mother was Haji Ali Mohammad.
Rafi's nickname was "Pheeko." His musical journey began at a very young age when he started singing by imitating the chants of a fakir who roamed the streets of his native village. This early exposure to music would prove to be the foundation of his extraordinary career.
In 1935, Rafi's father moved the family to Lahore, where he ran a barbershop in Noor Mohalla in Bhati Gate. It was in Lahore that young Rafi's musical talents began to flourish under proper guidance.
Key Dates
Musical Training
Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan
Learned classical music fundamentals
Pandit Jiwan Lal Mattoo
Advanced vocal training
Firoze Nizami
Refined his singing technique
Career Beginnings
Rafi's first public performance came at the age of 13, when he sang in Lahore featuring K. L. Saigal. In 1941, he made his debut in Lahore as a playback singer in the duet "Goriye Nee, Heeriye Nee" with Zeenat Begum in the Punjabi film "Gul Baloch" (released in 1944) under music director Shyam Sunder.
In 1944, Rafi moved to Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, along with Hameed Sahab. They rented a ten-by-ten-feet room in the crowded downtown Bhendi Bazar area. Poet Tanvir Naqvi introduced him to film producers including Abdur Rashid Kardar, Mehboob Khan, and actor-director Nazeer.
Rafi's first song with the legendary music director Naushad was "Hindustan Ke Hum Hain" with Shyam Kumar, Alauddin and others, from A. R. Kardar's "Pehle Aap" (1944). This marked the beginning of one of the most successful singer-composer partnerships in Indian cinema.
After partition in 1947, Rafi decided to stay back in India and had the rest of his family flown to Bombay. This decision would prove pivotal in shaping the future of Indian playback singing.
Personal Life
Family
Rafi married twice. His first marriage was to his cousin, Bashira Bibi, which took place in his ancestral village. The marriage ended when his first wife refused to live in India following the partition and moved to Lahore, Pakistan.
His second marriage was to Bilquis Bano. Rafi had four sons and three daughters; his first son, Saeed, was from his first marriage.
Character & Interests
Rafi's hobbies included playing badminton, carrom, and flying kites. He was a teetotaller and abstained from smoking. He stayed away from parties in the industry, preferring a simple and humble lifestyle.
He was described as having a gentle and calm demeanor, remaining humble, selfless, ego-less, devoted, God-fearing, and family-loving throughout his life.
"He always gave without thinking of the returns"— Laxmikant (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal)