Humble Beginnings to Heavenly Notes: Rafi Sahab’s Journey

31st July marks the death anniversary of the legendary playback singer Mohammed Rafi—a voice that continues to echo across generations.  We invited Tish Malhotra to pen an article tracing Rafi Sahab’s remarkable journey. His piece offers a thoughtful glimpse into Rafi Sahab's early struggles and the grace with which he rose to become one of India’s most beloved musical icons. True to form, Tish has delivered a well-researched and heartfelt tribute. 

Humble Beginnings to Heavenly Notes: Rafi Sahab’s Journey

Tish Malhotra
 
Every year since 1980, the 31st of July evokes poignant and heart-rending memories of the passing of legendary playback singer Mohammad Rafi. He left this world on that day in 1980, at the age of 56. A vast body of literature documents the details of his phenomenal musical success. In this article, we focus on the early phase of his life to understand how he steadily climbed the ladder to reach the pinnacle of eternal glory. For this, we turn faithfully to his highly acclaimed and comprehensive biography, Mohammad Rafi: Golden Voice of the Silver Screen, authored by Sujata Dev. The biography is officially authorised by Shahid Rafi and published by Om Books International.

Born on 24 December 1924 in Kotla Sultan Singh, a village near Amritsar, Rafi—whose name literally means “the Exalted Being”—was nicknamed ‘Pheeko’. He was the second youngest of Haji Ali Mohammad and Allah Rakhi’s six sons. From childhood, he faced the crisis of financial hardship that plagued his family and led to a frugal existence. The family’s difficult circumstances forced him to remain content with wearing clothes that his elder brother had outgrown.

Rafi started singing early in the company of village friends. His classmates in the village school were always in awe of his ability. His childhood friend Kundan Singh Samra used to say that one day Pheeko would become famous as a great singer. Apart from singing a Rafi was also fond of kite flying in the company of his friends.

In the 1920s, circumstances forced Rafi’s father to move to Lahore, where he opened a small dhaba. In 1936, Mohammad Rafi, along with his mother, brothers, and sisters, also moved to Lahore. His elder brother, Mohammad Deen, had started a shop in Noor Mohalla, Bhatti Gate, in the same city. Rafi began lending him a helping hand in running the shop. And so, his formal school education came to an end.

While in Lahore, one day Rafi became captivated by a soulful bhajan sung by a fakir—a religious ascetic who lived solely on alms—passing through the street. He followed the fakir and implored him to sing the bhajan again and again. The fakir sensed that he was not facing an ordinary listener. He encouraged Rafi to sing the same bhajan in his own voice. Enthralled by Rafi’s rendition, the fakir blessed him, saying that his voice would one day rule the world.

In 1938, at the age of 14, Rafi entered what is described as the magical state of wedlock. He married Basheera Bibi in his birthplace, the village of Kotla Sultan Singh. The ceremony was arranged on very short notice, and he soon returned to Lahore, accompanied by his wife.

It so happened that one day, while sitting in his brother’s shop, Rafi became lost in singing a song. As chance would have it, Jiwan Lal Mattoo, the programme executive of All India Radio, Lahore, was passing through Noor Mohalla at that moment. He was instantly captivated by the pristine glory of Mohammad Rafi’s golden voice and stepped into the shop. He was pleasantly surprised to discover that such an unassuming young boy possessed a stunning vocal range and tonal quality. He immediately invited Rafi to the AIR studio for an audition. In March 1943, Rafi undoubtedly passed the test with flying colours. From then on, he would be known as a radio singer.

Rafi's talent was also duly recognised by elder brother Mohammad Deen and his friend Hameed. They encouraged him in all possible ways to nurture his interest in music. Soon they arranged for his formal training under Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan of the Kirana Gharana, which gave him a strong classical base. He later trained under Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Jeevan Lal Mattoo (mentioned earlier), and Firoze Nizami, who refined his vocal technique and range.

While that was happening, in 1942, Mohammad Rafi had also got the golden opportunity to record his first playback song. The debutist composer Shyam Sundar approached him for singing the duet, "Goriye Ni Heeriye Ni" with Zeenat Begum for the Punjabi film, Gul Baloch. The song recorded in 1942 had the special Mohammad Rafi touch. It was an immediate hit when the film was released in 1944.

Both Deen and Hameed were fully convinced that Mohammad Rafi should not remain confined to Lahore. His future belonged to Bombay. Hence it was decided that Hameed, who had earlier been to Bombay, would be Rafi's guardian there. They somehow managed to convince the hesitant father, Haaji Ali to send Rafi to Bombay. Deen exhorted Rafi: "Don't return without earning name and fame." When Rafi divulged this plan to his wife Basheera, she refused to come along as she wanted to stay with back in Lahore. So that was end of their marriage lasted for four years. They also had a son, Saeed.

With a pillow case full of chana (Bengal gram) to stave off hunger, Hameed and Rafi left for Bombay, taking the Frontier Mail from Peshwar, as Lahore did not have the direct for the dream land. The family wished them good luck and saw them off.

Rafi was captivated by the magnitude and beauty of Bombay and the professionalism of its people. However, the foremost critical issue of major concern after reaching Bombay was to find some suitable accommodation. They didn't have enough money, not even the meagre amount of five rupees. Their positive mindset enabled them to overcome the challenge. The desperate search for a living place ended on a tiny flat on the second floor of a chawl (cluster house) in Bhindi Bazar which was going to be their address in the metropolis. The Nawab Masjid, which was visible from the window, gave a positive feeling about the tenement. The narrow balcony provided Rafi the space to indulge in his favourite pastime of flying kites.

Rafi visited the Nawab Masjid regularly for his namaaz. This also gave him the chance to mingle with local people to befriend them. Along with Hameed he loved to spend time at nearby restaurants like Zabbari Hotel or Nazari Hotel or the famous eatery Zam Zam Hotel for snacks.

The time had come when the Providence favoured the young aspirant with a meeting with a Sikh shopkeeper who guided Rafi to a music congregation called ‘Mehfil’ in the city where he could showcase his singing abilities. When Rafi reached the place with Hameed, he could hardly believe that his all-time favourite singer K L Saigal would be singing there. Another popular singer to perform there was Khan Sahab. Hameed approached him to plead that he should give his brother a chance to sing on that occasion. Khan Sahab, as if convinced divinely, agreed. He thought Rafi would sing a film song just like any other youngster. But Rafi sang a classical number so brilliantly with his velvet voice, caressing each note so perfectly. The audience applauded wholeheartedly. He repeated his performance by singing a ghazal. The audience was in rapture.

After the programme, one day a stranger approached Hameed and Rafi. He invited them to meet his boss, a film producer, who was also present in the ‘Mehfil’ on that day. Accompanied by him, they came to the producer's studio at Dadar. The producer greeted them warmly and straightaway asked Rafi to repeat the ghazal that he sang in the Mehfil. Immediately, the producer offered Rafi to sing a duet for his forthcoming film. He sang the duet flawlessly and was paid an amount of Rs 30, a princely sum in those days. Rafi earned it by dint of his labour. Later it was revealed that it was the magnanimous Khan Sahab who had facilitated this opportunity. Mohammad Rafi had arrived and not going to look back until his sad demise on 31 July 1980.

Countless accounts across print, broadcast, and digital media—along with numerous books—meticulously chronicle Padma Shri Mohammad Rafi’s extraordinary musical journey. Between 1944 and 1980, he recorded an astonishing 5,063 songs spanning Hindi, English, and regional languages. His collaborations included 243 music composers, 310 lyricists, 80 female and 47 male co-singers, and he lent his voice to over 21 celebrated actors including legends like Dilip Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, and Dev Anand. His artistry earned him multiple prestigious awards and cemented his place in the pantheon of Indian music. For instance, Rafi received six Filmfare Awards, one National Film Award, and the Padma Shri in 1967.

This heartfelt homage on his death anniversary celebrates the remarkable arc of Mohammad Rafi’s life—a boy from modest beginnings who came to reign over the silver screen for four decades. His beatific smile and rare, almost sacred humility drew admirers from all walks of life, each captivated by the quiet charisma of his soul-stirring presence. 

Rafi Sahab was truly described as a great artist and more than that as a great human being. His life offers a profound blueprint for those striving on their chosen path—a timeless lesson in perseverance, grace, and integrity. May his journey continue to inspire many more in the years to come. 

So here is a classic case for all aspirants to learn the necessary lesson on how to keep moving forward on their chosen path. Hope there will be many takers!

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