Mohammed Rafi
Playback singer of Hindi cinema’s golden age
- Lived
- 55 yrs
- 1924 – 1980
- Works listed
- 5
- Song
- Honours
- 2
- Most recent 1977
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Mohammed Rafi was one of the greatest playback singers in Indian cinema, recording thousands of songs from the 1940s until his death in 1980. Admired for a voice that could move from devotional songs to romantic ballads and rock-and-roll numbers, he won six Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award.
Biography
Early life
Rafi grew up in a village near Amritsar and later in Lahore, where he learnt classical music from ustads including Abdul Wahid Khan. As a teenager he sang at a concert in Lahore when the power failed for the scheduled star, K. L. Saigal — a moment often cited as his first public break. He sang his first film song in the Punjabi film Gul Baloch (1944) and moved to Bombay soon after.
Rise to the top
Composer Naushad gave him his breakthrough with the songs of Baiju Bawra (1952), including the devotional “O Duniya Ke Rakhwale” and “Man Tarpat Hari Darshan Ko Aaj”. Through the 1950s and 1960s he became the leading male voice of Hindi films, singing for stars from Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand to Shammi Kapoor, whose energetic style his voice matched perfectly.
A versatile voice
Rafi recorded qawwalis, ghazals, bhajans, comic songs and romantic duets with composers such as Shankar–Jaikishan, S. D. Burman, O. P. Nayyar, Madan Mohan and Laxmikant–Pyarelal. He won Filmfare Awards for “Chaudhvin Ka Chand” (1961), “Baharon Phool Barsao” (1967) and others, and the National Film Award for “Kya Hua Tera Wada” (1977).
Legacy
Rafi received the Padma Shri in 1967. He died of a heart attack on 31 July 1980, aged 55; thousands of people followed his funeral procession in Bombay despite heavy rain. He remains one of the most loved voices in South Asia, and a square in Mumbai’s Bandra, Padmashri Mohammed Rafi Chowk, is named after him.
Timeline
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1924
Born in Kotla Sultan Singh, Punjab, British India
-
1944
First film song
-
1952
Baiju Bawra
-
1961
Filmfare Award for “Chaudhvin Ka Chand”
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1967
Padma Shri
-
1967
Filmfare Award for “Baharon Phool Barsao”
-
1977
National Film Award for “Kya Hua Tera Wada”
-
1980
Dies in Bombay
-
1980
Died, aged 55
Notable works
-
1952
O Duniya Ke Rakhwale Song
-
1960
Chaudhvin Ka Chand Song
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1966
Baharon Phool Barsao Song
-
1977
Kya Hua Tera Wada Song
-
1960
Khoya Khoya Chand Song
Awards and honours
-
Padma Shri
1967
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National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
1977 · “Kya Hua Tera Wada”.
Did you know?
-
1
He was known among colleagues for his gentle, modest nature.
-
2
He sang for the actor Shammi Kapoor in many hits.
-
3
He recorded songs in many Indian languages as well as English and Persian.
Connections
Related people
-
Kishore Kumar
Film & TV · Playback singer and actor, one of the greatest voices of Hindi cinema
Contemporary playback singer
-
Lata Mangeshkar
Music · Playback singer whose voice defined Hindi film music for seven decades
Frequent duet partner
-
Dilip Kumar
Film & TV · Hindi cinema legend known as the “Tragedy King”
Sang for him in many films
Also born on 24 December
Frequently asked
Who is Mohammed Rafi?
Mohammed Rafi was one of the greatest playback singers in Indian cinema, recording thousands of songs from the 1940s until his death in 1980. Admired for a voice that could move from devotional songs to romantic ballads and rock-and-roll numbers, he won six Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award.
When did Mohammed Rafi die?
Mohammed Rafi died on 31 July 1980 at the age of 55.
Where is Mohammed Rafi from?
Mohammed Rafi was born in Kotla Sultan Singh, Punjab, British India.
What is Mohammed Rafi known for?
Mohammed Rafi is best known for Baiju Bawra, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Baharon Phool Barsao, Kya Hua Tera Wada.
What awards has Mohammed Rafi received?
Notable honours include Padma Shri (1967), National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer (1977).
References
- Mohammed Rafi — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mohammed Rafi — Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mohammed Rafi — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mohammed Rafi — Spotify. Spotify. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mohammed Rafi — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Official website. www.mohdrafi.com. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mohammed Rafi (Q156815) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Mohammed Rafi”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
Featured in
Music
The voices of Indian film music
From Lata Mangeshkar to Arijit Singh, these singers and composers created the soundtrack of Indian life.
27 October 2026
Bollywood
Legends of Hindi cinema’s golden age
The 1950s and 1960s gave Hindi cinema its greatest classics. Meet the actors, singers and filmmakers who defined the golden age.
27 October 2026
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Mohammed Rafi.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/mohammed-rafi
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