Shankar Jaikishan & Mohd. Rafi, A Golden Era Options

[princeali]

Friends,

I am starting this thread to share gems from the Shankar Jaikishan - Mohd. Rafi combo which was truly one of the most outstanding and special combinations ever in the history of HFM. Along with the songs, I will also upload bits and pieces of info from interviews, articles etc. about this great partnership.

If any of you have any SJ-Rafi gems that you would like to share, or any other info, thoughts, opinions, requests etc. on SJ-Rafi, please feel free to share them here as well.

Rafi saab and SJ both started their careers around the same time and both reached the greatest heights of success together. The combination produced so many wonderful melodies and a mind boggling variety for over two decades.

First gem is one of the earliest Lata-Rafi duets composed by SJ. There is another version sung separately by Lata.

Nai Zindagi Se Pyar - (with Lata Mangeshkar)
Film: Shikast
Year: 1953
Lyrics: Shailendra

[princeali]

Trivia - Part 2:

* Neeraj acted in Rafi saab's Paise Ki Pehchan (Pehchan) and also wrote the lyrics for the song.

* Jaya Bhaduri never had the opportunity to sing a song of SJ but she acted in Tujhe Jeevan Ke Dor Se (Asli Naqli) from Guddi with Dharmendra.

* Aarti Mukherjee sang Ayeega Ayeega (Boyfriend/1960) with Rafi saab and the next SJ song she sang was 15 years later, again with Rafi saab, Hamara Yaar Hai (Neelma/1975).

* Rafi saab also sang in one of the three versions of Zindagi Ek Safar Andaz

* Sushama Shreshta was introduced by SJ in Andaz singing in Hai Na Bolo Bolo with Rafi/Suman K.

* Rafi saab's Jaan Pehchan Ho (Gumnaam) is used in the Hollywood film Ghost World

* Shankar played the piano in Rafi saab's Dil Ke Jharoke Mein (Brahmachari) along with the usual pianist because he liked the song so much that he insisted on playing the piano himself, so an extra piano was arranged for him during the recording.

* One Rafi/SJ song that Naushad played as a tribute to Rafi saab in his Jaimala presentation was Yaad Na Jaaye (Dil Ek Mandir)

* Aaj Kal Tere Mere (Brahmachari) by Rafi/Suman was originally made for Rajendra Kumar.

* Sharda wrote the lyrics to Rafi/Sulakshana's Pardesiya Tere Desh Mein (Garam Khoon) under the pseudonym Singhaar

* Most unusual duet - Yeh Mera Prem Patra (Sangam), where Lata sang the tail-end separately and is technically a duet.

* SJ's first Shammi Kapoor film Ujala had no Rafi song for him. Yaaro Hamari Surat had Rafi for Rajkumar and Mukesh for Shammi.

* Two songs speculated to be unprofessional:

Love Marriage (1959) - Teen Kanastar Peet Peet Kar - a slam against O.P. Nayyar
Around The World (1967) - Kauva Chala Hans Ki Chaal - poking fun at R.D. Burman