Documentary on Rafi to premiere on his 92nd birth anniversary

"Daastan-E-Rafi", a documentary based on the life of Mohammad Rafi will have its television premiere on the occasion of late legendary composers 92nd birth anniversary.

Set to be aired on Zee Classic on December 24, the documentary chronicles the journey of Rafi's life with some of Bollywood's known faces sharing their experiences of working with him.

Co-directed by Rafi's fans, Rajani Acharya and Vinay Patel, the documentary, which was made earlier, also shows late actor Shammi Kapoor talking about Rafi's quirky and naughty side.

Shammi said in the documentary: "An incident I remember is when I heard the song 'Aasman se aaya farishta'. I was stunned to hear the styles and techniques he incorporated into that track.

"Flabbergasted, I asked how could he exactly capture the emotions and nuances, I would exhibit in this song on screen? Rafi told me, that the moment I knew the song was picturised on you, all I had to do was to bring out the same enthusiasm."

"Daastan-E-Rafi" gives insights into Rafi's life. It also tells about some of his training methods.

Rafi took the Indian music industry by storm with his entry as a playback singer in 1941 and never looked back till his sudden death in 1980 at the age of 55.

As per the documentary, in the early years of his career, Rafi used to go to Marine Drive every morning to practice music. He lived in Bandra and every day around 4:30 a.m., he used to drive up to Marine Drive and practice music there.

Some of Rafi's hit songs include "Kya hua tera wada", "Likhe jo khat tujhe" and "Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko".

Rafi left behind a treasure trove of immortal songs -- solos as well as duets with all top singers of his era. He sang qawwalis, ghazals, disco and pop in Hindi and various other Indian languages.

--IANS

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