The legendary Indian singer Mohammed Rafi has won the hearts of millions around the world with his memorable songs. Throughout his journey, he has faced several controversies. Let’s look at some key moments of his life.
Dispute over Royalty rights
In the 1960s, there was significant discussion between Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi regarding royalties. Lata believed it was fair to ask for a half-share of the 5% royalty that film producers received from music companies. However, Rafi disagreed, arguing that the focus should be on the composer and lyricist, as he felt that singers were primarily recreating the songs. This disagreement led Rafi to decide not to sing duets with Lata for some time, which garnered public attention. During this period, other female singers gained more recognition in Bollywood. Fortunately, music director Jaikishen intervened to help them reconcile, though their friendship was somewhat altered afterwards.
Guinness World Record Controversy
In a 1977 interview with the BBC, the famous singer Mohammad Rafi stated that he had recorded between 25,000 and 26,000 songs throughout his career. In 1979, he even wrote to the Guinness Book of World Records to request a review of Lata Mangeshkar’s record, which listed her as having sung at least 25,000 songs. The 1984 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records recognized Mangeshkar but also mentioned Rafi’s claim of having recorded 28,000 songs. However, by 1991, both Rafi’s and Mangeshkar’s records were removed from the Guinness Book. In 2011, Asha Bhosle, another renowned singer, received the title for recording the most songs.
However, many fans disagreed, stating that the media did not do justice to Rafi’s contribution.
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BR Chopra Controversy
The famous director’s growing pride became evident with the success of his films. He attempted to make the entire film team sign a special contract preventing them from working with other filmmakers. Rafi Saheb, a singer known for his humble nature, didn’t fully understand the implications of the contract. However, he politely told Chopra that he wanted the freedom to collaborate with different producers and directors, as he aspired to be the voice of the people.
This response surprised B.R. Chopra, prompting him to ban Rafi Saheb from his films and encourage other directors to do the same. Chopra believed he could replace Rafi with a new singer in his projects. Initially, Rafi found it harder to get work, but he remained calm and composed. Despite facing fewer opportunities, his unique and beautiful voice remained unmatched.
Rafi’s song ‘Kashmir Hai Bharat Ka, Kashmir Na Denge’ Controversy
A video featuring the song “Kashmir hai Bharat ka, Kashmir na denge,” sung by Mohammad Rafi, gained a lot of attention on social media. Some people claimed that the song was released during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and was banned due to its controversial lyrics, allegedly after Pakistan raised objections. However, this claim is misleading. In reality, while the censor board did alter some of the lyrics, the song was never banned. Listen to this rare and controversial song here:
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