Saifullah Cholakkal got nostalgic while listening to Mohammed Rafi’s song on a vintage valve radio at his home in Tirur.
As the world celebrates Mohammed Rafi’s 101st birthday on December 24, one man in Tirur celebrates it as a very personal festival. Saifullah Cholakkal doesn’t just listen to Rafi. He lives with him.
Over the past five decades, he has painstakingly collected around 5,000 songs sung by the legendary playback singer, including vinyl records, cassettes, CDs and DVDs. “I have all the known songs and most of the unknown songs,” he says with quiet pride.
Mr. Cholakkal’s love affair with Rafi’s voice began long before the Internet age, and even before cassette tapes became common.
Saifullah Cholakkal admiring Rafi memorabilia at Rafi Mansion in Bandra.
Born in 1962, he was barely five years old when he saw Shammi Kapoor’s film third floor and heard in malaysia you saw meHe did not understand Hindi then, but the voice remained with him,
through radio
Inspired by radio programs on Radio Malaysia, Radio Singapore and All India Radio and stories shared by his father Kutti Hassan, Mr Cholakkal grew up believing there was something divine in that voice.
”It was God’s own voice,” he says. ”That’s how my love for Rafi saab began. And every time I hear him, that love deepens,” Mr. Cholakkal says, as he gently removes some of his prized first-press records after playing. shower flowers in spring On his old 33-rpm Philips record player.
Saifullah Cholakkal showing some of his rare vinyl records.
Among his hundreds of records there are also a few dozen first pressing editions. He says some of them are extremely valuable. There may be only a handful of Rafi fans in Kerala who have almost the entire repertoire of Mohammed Rafi, but barely more than 160 songs are missing.
“Although I started listening to cassettes while living in Malaysia in the 1970s, my passion changed to vinyl records after returning to India. My desire to meet Rafi saab was dashed when he passed away in 1980, the same year I came to Kerala,” recalls Mr. Cholakkal.
It was his deep devotion to Rafi that endeared Mr. Cholakkal to the late Dharmendra, with whom he had a close friendship. “Rafi saab’s voice modulation was unique for any actor, especially actors like Dharmendra and Shammi Kapoor,” he says.
Saifullah Cholakkal (centre) with Mohammed Rafi’s son-in-law Parvez inside Rafi’s room.
“Dharamji once told me, ‘Son, when you listen to the song I don’t know what these eyes are looking for in me.You’ll feel as if I’m singing it myself”, he recalls.
frequent visitor
Mr Cholakkal has met Rafi’s family several times and was amazed to see the memorabilia kept at the Rafi mansion in Bandra. “Whenever I met Rafi saab’s son Shahid Rafi and son-in-law Parvez Bhai, they were exceptionally kind, a reflection of what a beautiful human being Rafi saab was,” he says.
Mr Cholakkal finds Rafi saab’s diction and clarity of voice unique and hopes that the new generation of singers will imbibe the great’s humility. “And even after listening to Rafi Sahab for decades,” he concludes, “my personal favorite song still remains You saw me…,
published – December 23, 2025 05:32 PM IST