Rafi@100: Colossus who looms over Hindi music to this day

His silken timbre, a product of classical training and raw talent, would raise him to near-revered status across multiple generations

Looking back at Mohammed Rafi’s legacy, in an age of autotune, AI and meme culture, one cannot help but marvel at the era he belonged to, of poet-musicians and timeless classics, songs we can all still hum today, and a voice that can’t be forgotten.

What set Rafi apart was an uncanny ability to mould his voice to fit the persona of each actor, adapting effortlessly to situation and style. This makes him one of the greatest playback singers in history (HT Archive)

In a world divided between Rafi and his great contemporary Kishore Kumar, it needed time for many from the then-younger generation to understand the unparalleled artistry of Rafi’s voice, but they eventually came around to