Published By: Sayan Paul

Mohammed Rafi's Birth Anniversary: His Voice & Kishore Kumar's Lip Sync - When The Two Legends Collaborated

Hailed as the "Voice of Indian Cinema", Mohammed Rafi had millions of fans from across the world. And one of them was his alleged rival, Kishore Kumar.

"My dad and Rafi uncle had the highest regard for each other." - Amit Kumar (Kishore Kumar's son).

Every discussion about Mohammed Rafi inevitably leads to Kishore Kumar - but for all the wrong reasons. Both were stalwarts of Hindi film music, inspiring generations of artists to come. However, it was their alleged rivalry (of course, created by the media) that even overshadowed their work. In reality, the two legends were close friends, who shared a deep mutual respect. As Rafi's son, Shahid Rafi, put it, "They were really good friends. Kishore Da used to respect my father a lot." And fortunately, they joined forces a number of times in different ways, creating masterpieces that are still popular today.

(Credit: Bollywoodirect)

Born on December 24, 1924, Rafi recorded as many as 7,000 songs (across genres and languages) in his career. Speaking about his collaboration with Kishore Kumar - the two sang several successful duets, including "Chhod Chale Pyaari Duniya Ko", "Bane Chaahe Dushman Zamaanaa Hamara", and "O Meri Mainaa Sun Meraa Kehnaa". Interestingly, Kumar, as an actor, also got to lip sync to Rafi's songs a few times in his films.

Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar

Today, as we celebrate Rafi's 100th birth anniversary, let's revisit some of those songs that he sang and Kumar lip-synced.

Mann Mora Baawra - Raagini (1958)

Featured in the 1958 film 'Raagini', "Mann Mora Baawra" is a soulful song where Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar's camaraderie shines. The lyrics capture the playfulness of heart when in love, and Rafi's voice does full justice to it. Kumar, on the other hand, enacts it effortlessly on the screen, bringing Rafi's voice to life.

It's worth noting that all the other songs in 'Raagini' were sung by Kumar himself. For "Mann Mora Baawra", composer O. P. Nayyar wanted a voice trained in classical music and hence chose Rafi.

(Credit: Syed Rafi)

The song became a massive hit upon its release. Over the decades, it has garnered loads of love from worldwide.

Ajab Hai Daastaan Teri Yeh Zindagi - Shararat (1959)

Think about the 1959 film 'Shararat', and the song "Hum Matwale Naujawan" (sung by Kishore Kumar) would come to your mind almost instantly. However, what's more interesting is one of the songs picturized on Kumar was sung by Rafi. It's "Ajab Hai Daastaan Teri Yeh Zindagi".

If reports are to be believed, both Kumar and music composer Shankar Jaikishan (S-J) realized no one but Rafi (thanks to his high-pitch) could do justice to this song. And Rafi agreed to sing it upon Kumar's insistence.

(Credit: Film History Pics)

The song has soul-stirring lyrics that capture life's twists and turns. And Rafi's voice merges with Kumar's lip sync beautifully, bringing it alive on the screen.

(Credit: Gold Vintage)

Apni Aadat Hai - Pyaar Diwana (1972) 

Kishore Kumar and Mumtaz's chemistry in 'Pyaar Diwana' is still a favorite of fans. However, more than their performances, or anything else, it was the film's soundtrack that hit the bull's eye. Most of the songs were sung by Kumar and Asha Bhosle - but the most popular one was by Mohammed Rafi, with Kumar's lip sync.

(Credit: Shemaroo Filmi Gaane)

"Apni Aadat Hai" is a soulful melody where Rafi's vocals are at their best. And the kind of emotional depth that he brought into his rendition is perfectly complemented by Kumar's performance on the screen. Thanks to their combined effort, it remains equally popular even today.

An Interesting Anecdote That You Must Know

Speaking about Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar's camaraderie or so-called rivalry, we cannot help but shed light on this interesting anecdote.

It was during the late 1960s when Kumar - as a singer - became more popular than Rafi. For the 1969 film 'Pyar Ka Mausam', composer R. D. Burman made both of them sing the song "Tum Bin Jayun Kahaan" (keeping each of them unaware that the other was also recording it). So, in a way, the two challenged each other without their knowledge.

(Credit: Film History Pics)

Rafi's version was used for Shashi Kapoor in the film, while Kumar's version for Bharat Bhushan. Well, the former turned out to be more popular among audiences.

Rest in Peace, Rafi Saab. Thanks For All The Amazing Songs!