Chhaayaageet #97 - “If you give your best, every song is nice.”
The filmmaker is pacing back and forth. The director and composer are also with him at his Pali Hill residence. They are watching him like it's a tennis match. Left, right, left, right. “Where is the singer? The recording is tomorrow. Where is he?” You can hear the frustration in his voice.
The filmmaker summons his brother. “Go to his house and check where he is. Did he forget this appointment?”
His brother reaches the singer's house and rings the bell. “Is singer saheb at home? We are waiting for him.” The wife is puzzled. “No, he is not at home. He is supposed to be at your place but maybe he is still recording at the Film Center in Tardeo.”
The brother comes back and relays the bad news. The filmmaker is raging now. “How dare he record another song during our time. He had promised he will be here in time.”
He turns again towards his brother. “Go to Tardeo and get him back in your car. Do not come back without him.”
The brother drives to Tardeo determined to get the singer back with him this time. He notices the singer in the recording cabin and waves at him. The singer recognizes the brother and waves back at him. The brother can’t hear him but sounds like he is gesturing for him to wait.
The singer comes out of the recording cabin once it's complete. “I am so sorry. The filmmakers for this movie had to return back to Madras today and that’s why I had to finish this today itself.” The brother is just glad the wait is over. “Ok, no problem. Let’s go now.”
They arrive at the filmmaker’s house. The singer can sense the temperature in the room. “I am so sorry. I am late for our appointment.” The filmmaker is quiet and does not say a word.
It is getting uncomfortable now. The director feels he can cut the silence in the room with a knife. He has to break the ice so they can get going. “Looks like you are quite busy these days.” The singer is relieved that someone spoke. “Nothing like that. This film is a big banner movie and the song I recorded today is really good.”
Now the composer is intrigued. What is this song that he is saying is really good. “Really? Is that so? Why don’t you sing a few lines?”
The singer is fresh with that song and delivers a great performance. Everyone in the room is in awe. “Did you like it?” The singer is trying to get confirmation from them. The filmmaker finally decides to chime in. “It’s a nice song but our song will be much better.”
The singer smiles. “If you give your best, every song is nice.”
Mohammed Rafi sang the song Teri Pyari Pyari Soorat for the film Sasural. The music was composed by Shankar Jaikishan and the lyrics were written by Hasrat Jaipuri. The film was produced by L. V. Prasad who is well known for producing several films in South India in different languages such as Tamil, Telegu, and Malayalam.
The day Rafi Saheb recorded this song, he was scheduled to meet with another team on another song. That song was from a film produced by Guru Dutt, directed by M. Sadiq, and composed by Ravi. Guru Dutt was furious when Rafi Saheb did not show up on time. He instructed his younger brother, Atma Ram Padukone to go find Rafi Saheb and get him back to his house. When they all heard the song from Sasural, they liked it but they felt that the song from their movie will be even better. That movie was Chaudvin Ka Chaand and the song was the title number Chaudvin Ka Chaand Ho.
Rafi Saheb won the Best Male Playback Singer Filmfare award for the song Teri Pyari Pyari Soorat… Chashme Baddoor. He also won the Best Male Playback Singer Filmfare award for the song Chaudvin Ka Chaand Ho.
Singer: Mohammed Rafi
Music: Shankar Jaikishan
Lyrics: Hasrat Jaipuri
*ing: Rajendra Kumar, Saroja Devi
Producer: L.V. Prasad
Director: T. Prakash Rao
Film: Sasural (1961)