Chhaayaageet #33 - “Ye mera Mohammed Rafi hai.”
Hot pakodas are nicely wrapped in pieces of paper torn from an old book. Perfect snack for a cool summer evening in Amritsar. He takes the pakodas from the hawker as he walks back home.
The text on the paper looks interesting. He looks closely and recognizes that it is not any random text but Kafi (Sufi poems) by a Punjabi Sufi poet from the 17th century.
Delicately balancing the pakodas, he continues reading. Immersed in the poetry, he turns the page to finish the verse, and all the pakodas end up in the street.
"Oh nahin ay ki ho gaya". He is shocked for a moment but then a smile breaks out. Now he can open the entire page fully without worrying about anything else.
He is part of a troupe that travels around the country doing music performances. Their next stop is Bombay for a concert. The plan is to sing the same Kafi but slightly modified in a folk style. He loves singing this poet's lines.
A famous filmmaker is in the audience. The singer, unaware of his presence, delivers a strong performance of a Sufi song. The filmmaker loves it, and is most impressed by the last ending lines. He goes backstage and gives the singer a big hug.
"Please come to my studio tomorrow. I have been thinking of a song for my movie. I would like to talk with you about it."
The filmmaker wants the song to play in the background while the young lovers feel the pain of separation caused by their parents' opposition to their love. He has been thinking of something Punjabi, something folksy. Who would sing it? Someone with a unique and powerful voice that thunders with an echo. None of the popular male singers fit the bill.
The singer reaches the studio the next day. The filmmaker explains the song and the situation. He has another condition. How about combining the Kafi the singer sang yesterday, and another one that he is terribly fond of. The song must include both Kafi. The singer agrees and sings a few lines.
The filmmaker is impressed but also curious. "Your voice is so amazing and powerful. How are you able to make that high pitch and stay there?"
"Sirji, when I was a child, there was a well in front of the house. I loved to sing loudly from our window and hear the echo back. The louder I sang, the echo would be even louder and longer. I would sit there for hours singing to kids and others in the locality."
The singer continues: "Everybody liked my singing except my own family. My mother never liked my singing. Every time I came home, she asked me where I was. I would say the truth - I was singing. I would get a thrashing from her."
When the actual song is recorded, the filmmaker gifts a spool of the song to the singer.
As he returns back to Amritsar, news of his collaboration with the filmmaker has already reached ahead of him. His mother has invited the entire neighborhood at home. He arrives to see them waiting for him, drinking Coca Colas. He plays the spool from the player.
After the song finishes, there is a silence, with everyone in awe.
His mother wipes a tear as she exclaims proudly, "Yeh mera Mohammad Rafi hai."
Narendra Chanchal sang this song for the 1973 film, Bobby, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor. It was based on the Kafi written by the famous Sufi poet, Bulley Shah. This was Narendra Chanchal's first song in the film industry and he won the Filmfare award for Best Male Playback Singer. Narendra Chanchal himself appeared in the film as a Sufi singer singing the song around a camp fire. Rishi Kapoor won Best Actor, and Dimple shared the Best Actress award with Jaya Bhaduri for Abhimaan. Laxmikant Pyarelal composed the music. Also Narendra Chanchal appeared in Bobby as himself, singing the song around a camp fire.
Narendra Chanchal is also very well known for all the devotional songs he did in films and private albums about Mata's bhajans or as they are known as "Mata ki Bhente". But only a few know that he started his career singing Sufi music in folk style based on Kafi written by poets such as Bulley Shah. After Bobby he had many more hits such as Mein Benaam Ho Gaya from Benaam, Tune Mujhe Bulaya from Asha and Chalo Bulawaa Aaya Hai from Avtaar.
Singer: Narendra Chanchal
Director: Raj Kapoor
Producer: Raj Kapoor
Lyrics: Inderjeet Singh Tulsi, Bulley Shah
Music: Laxmikant-Pyarelal
*ing: Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia
Film: Bobby (1973)