Mohammed Rafi`s son slams Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar: `Have some shame`

Mohammed Rafi never sought for work throughout his career, even when his Bollywood peers attempted to destroy it. His son, Shahid Rafi, accused Lata Mangeshkar and her equally well-known sister, Asha Bhosle, of destroying Rafi`s career out of jealousy and insecurity. He also disputed allegations of professional envy between his father and Kishore Kumar. In an interview with writer Vickey Lalwani, Shahid said that the sisters actively sought to destroy his father`s career and image, with Lata Mangeshkar even intervening when he was due to get a Guinness World Records honour.

Shahid recalled when Mohammed Rafi went into depression

Shahid stated that his father had no issues with male singers at the time, but it was a different story with women. He explained, "They were envious that Rafi sahab was on top of them; they wanted everyone to be below. They didn`t like it when people referred to him as number one. I heard he`d been sitting at home for nine years, depressed. Please! Simply listen to any song he sung in the 1970s." Shahid claimed that his father`s brief sabbatical was self-imposed, after a clergyman declared him a sinner for singing. He returned to the industry after a couple of years.

Shahid accused Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar of ruining his father`s career

Shahid accused Asha Bhosle of saying `Rafi didn`t have range`, he said, “I don’t have any qualms about saying this to their face, and I had told Lata ji as much before her passing. She claimed that his career was spiralling, and that he asked her to forgive him. He never said this. I can tell you that Lata ji said this, and two people came to Dad and asked him to forgive her. So many other singers were coming up, including her own sister. And she was insecure. Tell me who was at risk of having a downfall?”

Shahid stated that his father reached his pinnacle in the 1960s. "He didn`t even have time for us in those days. I will never allow anyone to speak poorly of my father. I will not remain silent, whoever it is. My father was my father, and I understood where he stood," he stated, adding that Lata Mangeshkar `intervened` as he was ready to accept an award from the Guinness Book of World Records. He claimed that his father dropped the dispute when Lata received the honour at the last minute.

In response to Asha Bhosle`s claimed comments criticising Rafi`s lack of range, he told her bluntly, "You are a learned person; have some shame. Not at this age. Put this! I am telling her directly. Upar wala baitha hai. God sees everything. I can`t stand anyone speaking poorly of my father. He continued, "You`ve gone old, talk about yourself."

In the same interview, Shahid stated that his father and Lata Mangeshkar never spoke again, despite the fact that Nargis and Jaikishan advised him to forgive her. They even put on a show together after reconciling, but they never had a personal connection again. Rafi was awarded the Padma Shri in 1967 but died soon in 1980 of diabetes and heart disease. He was 55.