Over the decades, we have witnessed so many melodious singers. However, there are two names that stand tall and a notch higher than the other without a shadow of a doubt. Two singers, who not only redefined the stature of music in India but also went on to sing more than 400 songs together. We are talking about the legendary playback singer, Mohammed Rafi and the nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar, who need no introduction.
While their respective illustrious career in the Indian music industry needs no introduction, it's fair to say that their duo is the best singing duo of all time. It's incredibly tough to name some of the best duets sung by Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, as they've given so many timeless songs to Indian cinema which will continue to impress generations to come.
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Although each and every song that Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar have sung together has found immense love from the audiences, however, there are some popular duets by the legendary singing duo that stood the test of time. Some of those timeless classics by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi were the likes of Do sitaron ka zameen par hai milan, Dekho rootha na karo, Woh jab yaad aaye bahut yaad aaye, Dil pukare aare aaare, Woh hain zara khafa khafa, Jhilmil sitaron ka aangan hoga, Teri bindiya re, Chalo dildar chalo, and many more.
The reason why Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi are regarded as the greatest singing duo of all time is that they've always had immense respect for each other's work in their hearts. Both of them used to shower immense praises on each other's singing abilities, which had become a crucial factor in their friendship that stood for many years.
Another important thing about Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi's friendship was that they always used to say that their singing partner sang better than them in their respective interviews. Both the humble legends never took all the limelight or credit for their successful duets, which was the backbone of their iconic duo that went on to create a legacy that is still unbeaten in the Indian music industry. No wonder we will hardly see singers like Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar ever again, who always put music ahead of themselves.
However, as the cruel reality of this beautiful world time and again teaches us that nothing lasts forever, one argument between Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi broke every single thread of friendship between them. It was in 1960 when the iconic singer brought the topic of royalty into the limelight. During that time, singers were not getting any royalty for the songs they used to sing from the recording labels. This was why Lata Mangeshkar had decided to take a stand for herself and other singers, who weren't getting any monetary credits for their songs. The singers used to receive a one-time payment for singing a song, and music companies used to earn money from songs till eternity.
When Lata Mangeshkar demanded royalty for the songs she sang, many renowned singers like Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Talat Mehmood, Mukesh, and many others supported her and admitted that they also wanted royalty for their songs. However, only some were in favour of royalty, and the biggest name, who was against Lata's idea was Mohammed Rafi. The industry was divided into two camps, and many famous singers were against Lata Mangeshkar's demand for royalty.
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As per the reports, Mohammed Rafi had never wanted royalty for his song, as he had considered the profession of a singer way too sacred. The singer considered himself lucky enough to be chosen by God to be a singer. Thus he had never thought of making more money than what he was given for his surreal art.
However, it wasn't the case with most of the singers, as a large section of the music industry was on Lata Mangeshkar's side, as they wanted the right amount of money for their art. But things took a completely different turn when Lata Mangeshkar's sister, Asha Bhosle joined Mohammed Rafi's camp and fought against her own sister.
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After the matter of royalty in the music industry started to get quite ugly, a meeting was held among all the music directors, film producers, and singers to discuss what needed to be done. After several remarks from both sides, Mohammed Rafi suddenly stood up and told everyone that he would never work with Lata Mangeshkar from now onwards. The statement irked Lata Mangeshkar, and she also announced that she would never sing with Mohammed Rafi again in her singing career. However, after some time, music companies agreed to Lata Mangeshkar's demand, and singers started getting royalties for their songs.
Lata Mangeshkar had won the fight for royalty, but the cost that she had paid was that her friendship with Mohammed Rafi ended permanently. However, after many years of silence between the two iconic singers, it was S.D. Burman, who brought them together and ended their differences. In an excerpt about the same from the book, Lata Mangeshkar ...in Her Own Voice, penned by Nasreen Munni Kabir, the singer had talked about the same and had said:
"Rafi Sahib and Asha (Bhosle) believed that once a song was recorded and the producer had paid us -- that was the end of it. Rafi Sahib didn't think that we should fight for royalties. This created a rift between us. From 1963 to 1967, we did not sing together. Finally it was S.D. Burman who brought us together. An S.D. Burman night was held at Shanmukhananda Hall in 1967 and Rafi Sahib and I met on the stage. We were both very pleased to be singing together again and sang the Jewel Thief duet Dil Pukaare."
Well, in the end, everything got sorted between Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, and they continued to sing together for years to come. The slight rift between Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar was also resolved as soon as it was finally decided that music companies would provide royalties to singers for their songs.
What are your thoughts on Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammed Rafi’s fight and Asha Bhosle’s reaction to it? Let us know.
Also Read: Meet Suman Kalyanpur: How Lata Mangeshkar's Biggest Competition Became A Victim Of Cinema Politics
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