Kachha Dhaaga Options

[unni]

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After singing-star Suraiyya's recent demise Lata-ji paid a lovely tribute to her, during which she recollected a song-recording with her and "another singer". Suraiyya-ji was then a bubbling spirit and started giggling, which got Lata-ji also into a 'giglacious" mood and it went on to become a giggling spree. Apparently the "other singer" was not amused and complained that she (Suraiyya-ji) was disturbing his singing.

I can imagine a conscientious Rafi-sahab at the recording-studio, seriously humming the lines and rehearsing for the recording, only to be interrupted time and again by high-pitched giggles from his two female co-singers.

My guess is it was at the recording of "Bheegi palkein ootha".

And I wouldn't blame him for thinking of them by the name of the film they were recording for: "DO GUNDE"!

[unni]

THE MISSING BIOGRAPHY

Like the rest of you, I am eagerly awaiting to read the biography on Rafi-sahab by the gentleman in Hyderabad. But I am willing to take a safe bet that in terms of Rafi-sahab's life and times it will reveal little more than what we already know. I will come back to this point later in this post.

During my teenage days, there used to be acrimonious disagreements at home on the subject of singers. My eldest brother "V" was a Rafian. But he inculcated in me his taste for Talat-saheb. And later, he was the one to draw to my attention how Kishore-da tunefully varied the rendering of "rahee" into a multi-sylabled word in a repetition of the line in the song "Gaadee boola rahee hai". Our other brother "J" was/is a die-hard Lata-ji fan. And invariably there would be comparisons and disagreements and quarrels! Fed up with our quarrels, my mother remarked: "They are singing and acquiring fame and wealth,and you guys are fighting"! The ironic part is that "V" and I were both admirers and fans of Lata-ji, but because of this constant comparison and "competition", it detracted from our pleasure of listening to Lata-ji!

Even today, when we are much older (and supposedly wiser!), I take care not to fall into the trap of a discussion with "J" on the "comparative" merits of artistes!

Just last year, after some conversation about biographies on Lata-ji, he tried to tweak my nose by asking, "How come there is no biography on Mohd. Rafi"? And I replied, "What is there to write? He used to go for recordings and come home to his family".

The legend was known as a simple person, a kind soul, a devout Muslim, a good family man. He was not involved in politics of any kind. He did not throw tantrums or have affairs. He was a man of few "spoken" words. How much of a biography can one write about such a "subject"?

But then, will any biography do justice as compared to his own "autobiography" --- a tuneful khazaana of musical masterpieces in his own golden voice, left for succeeding generations to cherish and admire, and wonder, "Was that possible"?