Remembering Mohammed Rafi

On the 30th death anniversary of Mohammed Rafi, his son Shahid Rafi launched a music academy called Mohammed Rafi Academy. This Academy will have music classes, cultural shows, and also commemorate the days of all the singers and composers who are no more. They will also honour the family members of those singers.

To inaugurate this academy Shammi Kapoor, who was recently hospitalised, attended the event. He spoke about Rafi and how he would attend all his recordings so that he could tell him exactly how he would perform the song.

He also remembered the day he came to know that Rafi was no more and how he got the news and started crying because the man who gave him the news told him, 'Shammi saab aap ki aawaz chali gayi' (Shammi saab your voice is no more).

Rafi sang all the popular songs of Shammi Kapoor whether it was Chahe koi mujhe junglee kahen from Kashmir Ki Kali, or Baar baar dekho from China Town.

Rafi also sang for Shammi Kapoor's nephew Rishi Kapoor, who recalled how Rafi sang for his films like Laila Majnu, Amar Akbar Antony to Katilon Ke Katil. Rishi also quoted Manmohan Desai's line for Mohammad Rafi, 'If God had a voice, it would be Rafi's voice'.

Composer Ravi remembered how Rafi cried while rehearsing for the song Baabul ki duaen leti jaa from Neel Kamal because his daughter was engaged. He even cried when he sang the song in the studio.

Jeetendra remembered how Rafi returned Rs 16,000 rupees to him because he thought it was too much for one song.

Even Amit Kumar sang and remembered his Rafi uncle who was his father, Kishore Kumar's best friend.

Jackie Shroff came all the way from Mahabaleshwar, where he is shooting a movie to honour the late singer.

The actor remembered the days when he used to stay in the chawls of Mumbai and how Rafi's songs, which he heard on the radio, were his family's only source of entertainment.

Nitin Mukesh recalled how he loved singing his father Mukesh's songs though his father insisted he sing Rafi's songs because only by singing songs of the late singer, can one become a star.

Music composers like Anandji of Kalyanji-Anandji duo, Pyarelal of Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Ravinder Jain, Udit Narayan, Bappi Lahiri, Adnan Sami, actors Dara Singh, Sanjay Khan, Jagdeep, Jaaved Jafferi and filmmaker Rakesh Roshan were also present on the occasion.

Some of the members on the committee of the Mohammed Rafi Academy like singer Mahendra Kapoor's son Rohan Mahendra Kapoor, lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri's son Andalib Majrooh Sultanpuri and composer Naushad's son Raju Naushad were also present at the event.