Rafi and Madanmohan combination created artistic songs.

Rafi and Madanmohan combination created artistic songs.

There are two types of songs composed in Bollywood films. One form of the songs are those songs which are created for the sequences of the films and for public tastes. The other forms are those songs which are created to attain artistic excellence. Madanmohan Kohli’s compositions for Mohammad Rafi fall in the second category. Majority of the songs composed by Madanmohan Kohli were in the form of ghazals. In Bharat Bhusan’s film Jahanara, released in 1964, 2 of Rafi’s songs composed by Madanmohan were masterpieces including “baad muddat key eh ghari ayi” and “kisiki yaad me apna ko hai bhulaye hue”. In Sunil Dutt’s film Ghazal, released in 1964, all the songs sung by Rafisahab for Madanmohan were masterpieces including “rang aur noor ki baraat kise pesh karoon”, “ishq ki garmiye- jazbaat kise pesh karun”, “mujhe yeh phool na den”, “meri mehboob kahi aur milan kar mujhse”, to name a few. Sahir Ludhiyanvi wrote the lyrics of the songs. They were majestic by every musical standards. Madanmohan’s casting of Mohammad Rafi in those songs was point blank. Rafisahab’s patriotic andaz was captured by Madanmohan Kohli in the film Haqeeqat in 1964. The songs “kar chale hum fida”, “hoge majboor usne bulaya hoga” still brings patriotic feeling in numerous Indians even 50 years after the creation. In Dharmender’s film Neela Akash, in 1965, all the songs of Rafi Madanmohan combination stormed Bollywood including “akhri geet muhobbat ka sunalun”, “aapko pyar chupane ki buri aadat hai”. In Sunil Dutt’s film Chirag, the Rafi Madanmohan combination again created magic. The songs were outstanding including “chirag dil ka jalao bahut andhera hai”, “teri aankhon ke siva duniya me rakkha kya hai”. All the songs of Rafi Madanmohan combination in Dharmender’s film Dulhan Ek Raat Ki require special mention. The songs like “ek haseen sham ko”, “kisi ka kuch kho gaya hai”, were romantic in nature. In the 1970s also Madanmohan Kohli composed immortal tunes for Rafisahab. Some of the gems included “yeh duniya yeh mehfil” from film Heer Ranjha, “tum jo mil gaye ho to yeh lagta hai’ from film Hanste Zakhm, “barbaad muhobbat ka dua saath liye ja” from the film Laila Majnu. No one can forget the enchanting appeal of Rafisahab’s rendition of the song “tumhari zulf ke saye me sham karlunga’ another gem of Madanmohan Kohli. Madanmohan Kohli’s untimely death in mid-1970s ended the dream combination. But the songs and films are rich assets and huge amount of preservation is required to pay respect to the departed souls of Madanmohan Kohli and Mohammad Rafi.