Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and one of the most popular singers of the
Hindi film industry. Rafi was notable for his versatility, his songs ranged from classical numbers to patriotic songs, sad lamentations to highly romantic numbers,
qawwalis to
ghazals and
bhajans. He was known for his ability to mould his voice to the persona of the actor lip-synching the song on screen in the movie. Between 1950 and 1970, Rafi was the most sought after singer in the Hindi film industry. He received six
Filmfare Awards and one
National Film Award. In 1967, he was honoured with the
Padma Shri award by the
Government of India.