Ravi’s best duets for Rafi

In my last post I covered Ravi’s best solo songs for Rafi. He composed about 250 songs for Rafi, including duets. It is a huge number in absolute as well as relative terms. Only two, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Shankar-Jaikishan, have undisputedly composed more Rafi songs than him, as can be expected. Chitragupta is in the same range or marginally more than him. About 42% of these songs are duets, including male-male duets, and songs having more than two singers. Over 100 duets is a significant number, and several of them are so good, no discussion on Ravi’s songs for Rafi is complete without mentioning his duets.

There is another remarkable feature of his duets. The female companion singer is predominantly Asha Bhosle, and you would have to make some efforts to find a standout duet with Lata Mangeshkar. This fits in with Hans Jakhar’s observation earlier that Asha Bhosle was the most prominent singer overall for Ravi, figuring in about 50% of his total songs. In fact if one were to select best 10 duets, composed by Ravi for Rafi, they would be almost all with Asha Bhosle. But, haath kangan ko aarsee kya? Without much ado, let me post some of his best duets.

1. Mujhe pyar ki zindagi denewaale by (with Asha Bhosle) from Pyar Ka Saagar (1961), lyrics Prem Dhavan

Pyar Ka Saagar I remember for two superb Mukesh solos: Wafa jinse ki bewafa ho gaye, and Sada khush rahe tu jafa karnewaale, but here is an excellent duet by Rafi and Asha Bhosle, in a soft and melodious tune, picturised on Rajendra Kumar and Meena Kumari.

2. Jab se tumhein dekha hai aankhon mein tumhi tum ho (with Asha Bhosle) from Gharana (1961), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni

Now Ravi composes a peppy duet, going on Rajendra Kumar and Asha Parekh, who are prancing around in Vrindavan Garden (?).

3. Kahiye kaisa mijaaz hai aapka (with Asha Bhosle) from Salam Memsaab (1961), lyrics Asad Bhopali

Kumkum is a terrific dancer, but this is a thoroughly unknown film, with an unheard name, Subir, in the lead. Yet Ravi composes a fabulous duet.

4. Yamma yamma, tu parwaane main shamma…Kya teri mehfil hai sanam…Ya dilruba ya dilruba (with Asha Bhosle) from China Town (1962), lyrics Majrooh Sultanpuri

Is this an Asha Bhosle solo, a Rafi solo or a Rafi-Asha Bhosle duet, or all of these? In this interesting composition, the first part of the song is a pure night club dance song in the voice of Asha Bhosle, picturised on Helen, then Shammi Kapoor makes a wild entry screaming Yamma, and starts singing Kya teri mehfil hai sanam, Ya dilruba ya diluba.  Close your eyes, and Rafi is not Rafi, he becomes the wild Shammi Kapoor. The tune changes several times in the song, with the singers chanting Yamma yamma in unison in the end. This film has several solos and duets in the same wild style, such as Baar baar dekho, hazaar baar dekho and Bada qaatil hai mera yaar china chin chin chu. And another one by Rafi-Meenu Purushottam, Dekhoji ek baala jogi.

5. Tumhein pa ke humne jahan pa liya hai (with Asha Bhosle) from Gahra Daagh (1963), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni

You give natural surroundings, a couple in love, and Ravi would come with a gorgeous Rafi-Asha Bhosle duet. He gives Asha Bhosle precedence in this song, further evidence of his special preference for her.

6. Sang sang rahenge tumhare ji huzoor (with Asha Bhosle) from Mulzim (1963), lyrics Shakeel Badayuni

I just said nature, and a romantic couple, and Ravi comes up with another absolutely joyous duet, picturised on Pradeep Kumar and Shakeela. A less heard song, but a great gem.

7. Meri pahli aarzoo ka ye salaam yaad rakhna (with Asha Bhosle) from Pyar Ka Bandhan (1963), lyrics Qamar Jalalabadi

Such songs seem to have become second nature to Ravi. He does not care if it is for a C-grade movie, picturised on inconspicuous actors like Keval Kumar and Naaz. Ravi simply does his professional job, and Rafi-Asha Bhosle are equal to the task.

8. Maine kaha tha ana Sunday ko Saunday ko (with Asha Bhosle) from Ustadon Ke Ustad (1963), lyrics Asad Bhopali

In the original Never on a Sunday, the lady forbade the guy to kiss her on a Sunday, though all other days were permitted. But in this adaptation, Asad Bhopali reverses the order; Helen tells the guy she had asked him to come on Sundays, why did he come on other days. A minor difference, but perhaps more logical – Sunday is more relaxed for fun. C Ramchandra had also asked many years ago, Ana meri jaan Sunday ke Sunday. That Maine kahan tha is inspired from a foreign song does not reduce its charm one bit. Just shows Ravi’s capability to compose from a wild Shammi Kapoor song, to a soulful romantic duet, to a fun song for Johnny Walker and Helen, who is fantastic as a coconut seller.

9. Ye kahmoshiyan ye tanhaaiyaan, mohabbat ki duniya hai kitni jawaan (with Asha Bhosle) from Ye raaste hain pyar ke (1963), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

Back to sylvan surroundings, and snow-capped valley, and the lovely couple Sunil Dutt and Leela Naidu, who was once regarded as the most beautiful woman of the world. And you can trust Ravi will compose an out of the world duet for this situation. This film was Sunil Dutt’s debut production. Its story was based on Nanavati murder case, which was reprised in Akshay Kumar-starrer Rustom (2016).

10. Naa ye zameen thi naa aasman tha (with Asha Bhosle) from Sagaai (1966), lyrics Rajendra Krishna

I may be by now sounding like a worn-out record, but Ravi keeps on giving superb Rafi-Asha Bhosle romantic duets one after the other, now picturised on Biswajeet and Rajshree.

11. Tumhari nazar kyun khafa ho gayi (with Lata Mangeshkar) from Do Kaliyan (1966), lyrics Sahir Ludhiyanavi

I have to remind the readers that this post was on Rafi’s duets, and not Rafi-Asha Bhosle duets composed by Ravi. That my first ten songs happened to be all with Asha Bhosle only confirms  that she was the principal singer for Ravi. Every other female singer was the ‘other’ singer for him, and that includes Lata Mangeshkar. I had once said that some music directors used Asha Bhosle reluctantly, some used her voluntarily, giving her quite a large number songs, though reserving the best for Lata Mangeshkar. Ravi is the only one among the leading music directors whose primary female singer was Asha Bhosle by choice. (OP Nayyar was a class by himself, for complete exclusion of Lata Mangeshkar.) Let me end this post with a Rafi duet with one of the ‘other’ singers, lest the readers should think that Hans (and Mumbaikar8, Arvind and Arvinder Sharma) have converted me into an Asha Bhosle-bhakt 🙂 .  The song is quite good though. I am sure the readers would provide a balance by mentioning more Rafi’s duets with other singers, including male singers.

Acknowledgement and Disclaimer: The song videos have been embedded from the YouTube only for the listening pleasure of the music lovers. This blog acknowledges that the copyright over the songs vests with respective owners, such as Saregama India Limited and others.