Last week, this column listed 10 party songs to build up the festive spirit. This time, we continue the uptempo mood, but keep a specific theme in mind.
To mark Mohammed Rafi’s 98th birth anniversary on December 24, we choose 10 peppy numbers sung by him. Only a few of these are actual dance numbers, but they are all vibrant enough to keep a party alive and make everyone tap their feet. The list is chronological, but like last week, the selections keep a certain flow in mind.
1 Khoya Khoya Chand – Kala Bazar (1960)
This song showed Dev Anand in his distinct swagger. Rafi sang Shailendra’s lines, “Khoya khoya chand, khula aasmaan, aankhon mein saari raat jaayegi, tumko bhi kaise neend aayegi, ho o, khoya khoya chand”. S.D. Burman’s composition had a certain lilt that made people sing along.
2 Gaal Gulabi Kiske Hain – Love In Simla (1960
This uptempo party number featured a brilliant dance by Joy Mukherjee and Sadhna. Rafi was totally in sync with Iqbal Qureshi’s composition. Rajendra Krishan wrote, “Gaal gulabi kiske hain, nain sharaabi kiske hai, baalon mein kiske raat basey, dekhke jisko subah hasey, bolo kaun kaun kaun… Shakila”.
3 Chaahe Koi Mujhe Junglee Kahe – Junglee (1961)
Who can forget Shammi Kapoor wild ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ entry and flawless dance in snow-capped hills serenading Saira Banu? Shankar-Jaikishan composed this robust number, with Shailendra writing, “Yahoo… Chaahe koi mujhe junglee kahe, kehne do ji kehta rahe, hum pyaar ke toofanon mein girey hain, hum kya karein… Yahoo”.
4 Jiya O Jiya – Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai (1961)
The song showed Dev Anand on top of a car, with Asha Parekh in a train. Rafi’s singing brimmed with romance. Shankar-Jaikishan came up with a peppy tune, and Hasrat Jaipuri wrote, “Jiya o, jiya o jiya kucch bol do, arrey o, dil ka parda khol do, jab pyaar kisise hota hai, toh dard sa dil mein hota hai…”.
5 Yeh Chand Sa Roshan Chehra – Kashmir Ki Kali (1964)
The highlight of this song was in the way Rafi sang the line, “Taareef karoon kya uski jisne tumhe banaaya’. Music was by O.P. Nayyar, and the song was filmed on Shammi and Sharmila Tagore at Srinagar’s Dal Lake. S.H. Bihari’s lyrics were filled with metaphors.
6 Affoo Khudaya – Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965)
One of the most robust songs sung by Rafi, this was picturised on Shashi Kapoor and Nanda. Kalyanji-Anandji composed the tune, and Anand Bakshi wrote, “Is deewane dil ne kya jaadu chalaya, tumko humpe pyaar aaya, pyaar aaya, oye, humko tumpe pyaar aaya, pyaar aaya, affoo khudaya”.
7 Mere Pairon Mein Ghungroo – Sunghursh (1968)
This was set in north Indian folk style and featured a well-choreographed dance by Dilip Kumar with a large troupe that included actress Snehlata. Naushad composed the tune, and Shakeel Badayuni wrote, “Mere pairon mein, haay, mere pairon mein ghungroo bandha de toh phir meri chaal dekhle”. Rafi was joined by back-up singers. In fact, it is Naushad’s 103rd birth anniversary on December 25.
8 Gulabi Aankhen – The Train (1970)
R.D. Burman composed this uptempo song featuring Rajesh Khanna and Nanda. Rafi sang it with verve. Bakshi’s lyrics were, “Gulabi aankhen jo teri dekhi, sharaabi yeh dil ho gaya, sambhalon mujhko o mere yaaron, sambhalna mushkil ho gaya”. The song had vibrant guitars, horns and drums.
9 Parda Hai Parda – Amar Akbar Anthony (1977)
This was a qawwali sung by Rafi for Rishi Kapoor. The performance took place in a public auditorium, and seen in the crowd were Neetu Singh, Amitabh Bachchan, Mukri and Nirupa Roy. Laxmikant-Pyarelal composed the music, using many handclaps to accompany the main singer. Bakshi wrote the lyrics.
10 John Jaani Janardhan – Naseeb (1981)
This song was released after Rafi passed away. Here, Amitabh Bachchan played a steward at a five-star hotel party, where the guests included Raj Kapoor, Dharmendra, Shammi Kapoor, Rajesh Khanna and a host of film stars. Music was by Laxmikant-Pyarelal and lyrics were by Bakshi. Interestingly, Rafi also sang the comic song ‘Chal Mere Bhai’ for Rishi in the same film.
Here, we have featured a wide cross-section of actors, and it is interesting to note how Rafi’s voice went with each of their individual personalities. We have also.restricted the selection to two songs featuring Shammi – one could have actually filled up this column with uptempo numbers Rafi sang for the actor.
