Menu

Mohammed Rafi Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Quick Info→
Death Cause: Heart-Attack
Death Date: 31/07/1980
DOB: 24/12/1924

Mohammed Rafi

Bio
Real NameMohammed Rafi
NicknamePheeko
ProfessionPlayback Singer
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)in centimeters- 170 cm
in meters- 1.70 m
in feet inches- 5’ 7”
Weight (approx.)in kilograms- 85 kg
in pounds- 187 lbs
Eye ColourBlack
Hair ColourBlack (Semi- bald)
Personal Life
Date of Birth24 December 1924
Date of Death31 July 1980
Age (at the time of death) 55 Years
Birth Place Lahore, Punjab, then British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan)
Place of Death Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Cause Of DeathHeart-Attack
Zodiac sign/Sun signCapricorn
SignatureMohammed Rafi Signature
Nationality Indian
Hometown Lahore, Punjab, then British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan)
SchoolNot Known
CollegeNot Known
Educational QualificationNot Known
DebutPlayback singer: Aji dil ho kaabu mein (Song)/ Gaon Ki Gori (Film)
Gaon Ki Gori Poster
Awards, Honours• Honoured with a silver medal by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru (first Prime Minister of independent India) on the first anniversary of the Independence of India (1948)
• Padma Shri (1967)
• National Award for the song "Kya Hua Tera Wada" from the film "Hum Kisise Kum Naheen" (1977)
FamilyFather- Hajji Ali Mohammed
Mother- Allah Rakhi
Brothers- Mohammed Safi, Mohammed Deen, Mohammed Ismail, Mohammed Ibrahim, Mohammed Siddique
Sisters- Chirag Bibi, Reshma Bibi
ReligionIslam
AddressRafi Mansion, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Hobbies Playing Badminton, Carom and flying kites
Controversies• In 1962–1963, the popular female playback singer Lata Mangeshkar raised the issue of playback singers' share in the royalties. Recognizing Rafi's position as the leading male playback singer, she wanted him to back her in demanding a half-share from the 5 percent song royalty that the film's producer conceded to select composers. Rafi stated that his claim on the filmmaker ended with his being paid his agreed fee for the song and it is the producer who bets the money and the composer who creates the song, so his claim to the contribution of the song is compensated when the fees are paid.

• After the royalty issue, Lata's views clashed with Rafi's view and she decided not to sing any further songs with Rafi. The music director Jaikishan later negotiated this dispute between the two.

•  In an interview given to The Times of India on September 25, 2012, Lata claimed to have received a written apology from Rafi. However, Shahid Rafi, Mohammad Rafi's son, refute the claim, calling it an act to dishonour his father's reputation.

• Rafi was again got involved in a controversy over Lata Mangeshkar's entry in the Guinness Book of World Records. In a letter dated 11 June 1977, to the Guinness Book of World Records, Rafi had challenged that Lata Mangeshkar has recorded the less number of songs than him. But After his death, the Guinness Book of World Records made it clear and gave Lata Mangeshkar's name for the "Most Recordings" and in 1991, the Guinness Book entries for both Rafi and Lata were deleted.
Favourite Things
Favourite Actor(s)Kishore Kumar, Rishi Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar
Favourite ActressMadhubala, Rekha, Sadhna, Nargis Dutt
Favourite Film(s) Mughal-E-Azam, Aradhana, Guide, An Evening in Paris.
Favourite Singer(s) K. L. Saigal, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Manna Dey
Favourite Colour(s)Brown, Red & White
Girls, Affairs and More
Marital StatusMarried
Affairs/Girlfriends Bilquis Bano
Wife/SpouseBasheera Bibi (First Wife)
Bilquis Bano (Second Wife)
Mohammed Rafi With his Wife
Marriage DateYear 1943 (Second Wife)
ChildrenSons- Saeed (First Wife)
Khalid, Hamid, Sahid (Second Wife)
Mohammed Rafi Son Sahid Rafi
Daughters- Parveen, Yashmin, Nashreen (From Second Wife)
Mohammed Rafi With his wife Bilquis, and children Yasmin, Shahid and Nasreen
Style Quotient
Car CollectionsFiat Padmini
Mohammed Rafi With his Car FIAT Padmini
Empala
Mohammed Rafi With his Empala Car
Money Factor
Net Worth (Approx) $20-30 million

Mohammed Rafi

Some Lesser Known Facts About Mohammed Rafi

  • Does Mohammed Rafi smoke?: Not Known
  • Does Mohammed Rafi drink alcohol?: Not Known
  • Mohammed Rafi was the second eldest among his six brothers.
  • He learned classical music from Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan, Pandit Jiwan Lal Mattoo and Firoze Nizami.
  • In 1941, Rafi was invited by All India Radio, Lahore station, to sing for them.
  • In 1941, he made his debut in Lahore as a playback singer in the duet “Soniye Nee, Heeriye Nee” with Zeenat Begum in the Punjabi film ‘Gul Baloch’ (released in 1944) and made his Hindi debut with a song “Aji dil ho kaabu mein to dildar ki Aisi taisi” for the film Gaon Ki Gori in 1945.

  • In 1944, Rafi moved to Mumbai and lived with Hameed Sahab in a rented ten-by-ten-feet room in the crowded downtown, Bhendi Bazar area.
  • In 1945, he appeared on the screen for the song “Tera Jalwa Jis Ne Dekha” in the film Laila Majnu.

  • He considered K. L. Saigal as his idol and was also influenced by G. M. Durrani. In the early phase of his career, he often followed their style of singing.
  • In 1948, after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the team of Husanlal Bhagatram-Rajendra Krishan and Rafi had overnight created the song “Suno Suno Ae Duniyawalon, Bapuji Ki Amar Kahani.” He was then invited by Jawaharlal Nehru, to sing at his house.

  • He worked with various eminent Music Composers such as Naushad, S.D. Burman, Shankar-Jaikishan, O.P. Nayyar, Ravi, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and many more.
  • The last song of Rafi was “Shaam Phir Kyun Udaas Hai Dost, Tu Kahin Aas Paas Hai Dost”, for the composer Laxmikant- Pyarelal, that was recorded just hours before his death.

  • In June 2010, Rafi along with Lata Mangeshkar was voted the most popular playback singer in the Outlook Music Poll, conducted by Outlook magazine. The same poll voted “Man re, tu kahe na dheer dhare” (Chitralekha, 1964), sung by Rafi as the Number one song and at second were “Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain” (Guide, 1965) and “Din dhal jaye, hai raat na jaye” (Guide, 1965).

  • Shahid Rafi and Sujata Dev wrote his official biography tilted, ‘Mohammed Rafi: Golden Voice of the Silver Screen,’ which was launched on his 91st birth anniversary.
  • The ‘Padma Shri Mohammed Rafi Chowk’ in the Bandra suburbs of Mumbai was named after him.