Flashback | Mahendra Kapoor: Living in the shadows of Mohd Rafi

To singer Mahendra Kapoor goes the credit for giving voice to one of India’s most beloved patriotic songs: Mere desh ki dharti sona ugley ugley here moti  in Manoj Kumar’s directorial debut film  Upkar. Ever since that epoch-making song composed by Kalyanji-Anandji was released in 1967, Mahendra Kapoor’s vocal identity has been indelibly fastened to the number. Though Mahendra Kapoor sang innumerable hits in his long career he was never clubbed with the other singing legends Mohd Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, and Manna Dey. “Because he was not (one of the singing legends). Mahendra Kapoor despite his staggering range and powerful vocals was always considered a Rafi replica. Except for Manoj Kumar, he was never the first choice for any leading man’s ghost voice. Dilip Kumar, for example, opted for Talat Mahmood and Mohd Rafi. Only when these two singers were no more did the Thespian bring in Mahendra Kapoor to do the vocals honours in Shakti for Maangi tthi ek dua woh qubool ho gayi. Filmmaker-actor Manoj Kumar always preferred Mahendra Kapoor as his ghost voice. Says the veteran actor-director (now an aging recluse), “Mahendra Kapoor was more my dost-voice than ghost voice. He was always my first choice, then Mukesh. In Purab Aur Pachchim Mahendra sang one of my landmark songs  Hai preet jahan ki reet sada. I consider this and Mere desh ki dharti the two most important songs of my career. I also love the song he sang for me in Roti Kapada Aur Makaan: Aur nahin bass aur nahin gham ke pyale aur nahin. I think he got the Filmfare award for this song. I don’t think anyone could sing that song the way he did. Bahot dum ttha unki awaaz mein (he had a very powerful voice.” As for being branded a poor man’s Rafi Manoj Kumar sneers, “They do that in this industry. I was considered a copy of Dilip Kumar Saab. Parveen Babi they said was another Zeenat Aman.” Lata Mangeshkar has very warm memories of Mahendra Kapoor. “We sang many memorable duets together, though I think he sang more with my sister Asha (for the record, I tried getting in touch with Asha Bhosle for this tribute). There is a duet composed by Madan Mohan Saab in the film Woh Kaun Thi(Aapne apna banaya)  and one composed by Kalyanji-Anand in the film Parivar (Humne jo dekhe sapne)which I especially like. I love his songs in the film Navrang. He had a very powerful voice. He was a trained singer and could sing any kind of song.” That powerful voice went against Mahendra Kapoor. Many composers considered his voice to be too overpowering to be the screen hero’s voice. The only major filmmaker who pooh-poohed that myth was B R Chopra in whose cinema Mahendra Kapoor was the constant male ghost voice, from Aasra in 1959 to Nikaah in 1982. Mahendra Kapoor shared an enduring bond with The Chopras. His son Rohan Kapoor was launched by Yash Chopra in Faasle in 1985. But the other major production houses only went to Mahendra Kapoor when Mohd Rafi was not available. His gallery of songs proves he may not have been the first choice. But listeners loved his voice. Mahendra Kapoor’s Top 10:

1. Chalo ek baar phir se ajnabee ban jayen hum dono(Gumrah)
2. Aap aye toh khayal-e-dil-e-nashaad aaya (Gumrah)
3. Mera pyar woh hai jo (Yeh Raat Phir Na Ayyegi)
4. Ramchandra keh gaye siya se (Gopi)
5. Hai preet jahan ki reet sadaa (Puran Aur Pachchi)
6. Mere desh ki dharti (Upkar)
7. Neele gagan ke taley (Humraaz)
8. Lakhon hai yahan dil wale (Kismat)
9. Aur nahin bass aur nahin (Roti Kapada Aur Makaan)
10. Fakira chal chala chal (Fakira) 

_Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK\_Jha._