On Rishi Kapoor’s death anniversary, the sparkling songs that the affable actor sang on screen in Shailendra Singh’s voice

Rishi Kapoor’s songs were special. He had a keen ear for music and was a terrific collaborator specially with Rahul Dev Burman with whom Rishi had many jam session before they came up with O hanseeni in Zehreela Insaan. The song was to be sung by Shailendra Singh, Rishi’s ghost voice in his debut as a leading man in Bobby.

After the epoch-defining success of the Bobby songs Main shaayar toh nahin, Chabhi kho jaye , Jhooth bole kauva kaate and Mujhe kuch kehna hai Shailendra Singh was expected to be Rishi’s permanent ghostvoice just as Mukesh was Rishi’s father Raj Kapoor’s voice.

But Shailendra Singh was replaced in Zehreela Insaan and later in Saagar by Kishore Kumar. Shailendra was left with just one solo Paap se badh kar mera zehar hai in Zehreela Insaan and one duet Jaane do na in Saagar (which was the best song in the album).

Rishi felt really bad about not carrying Shailendra Singh’s voice forward with his stardom. But the market demands dictated that personal allegiances be set aside.

In the musical blockbuster Khel Khel Mein, Kishore cornered the cream of the crooning crop. Yet, Shailendra got the zingy hit Humne tumko dekha and he was happy with that.

Two other Rishi musical blockbusters Laila Majnu and Kabhi Kabhie followed. Mohammed Rafi sang for Rishi in the former and Kishore in the latter. In Manmohan Desai’s Amar akbar Anthony it was Kishore for Amitabh Bachchan and Mohd Rafi for Rishi.

The Rishi-Rafi combo dominated the charts in the late 1970s and 80s with musical blockbusters Laila Majnu,Sargam, Hum Kissise Kam Nahin .

But even as he scaled new heights of glory Rishi never forgot Shailendra Singh. The star made sure he used his Bobby voice in Rafoo Chakkar(Tumko mere dil ne,Kisi pe dil agar aa jaye), Sham Suhani aaye (Zinda Dil),Zamane Ko Dikhana hai(Hoga tumse pyara kaun), Hawaalaat(Shaayad tu mujhse pyar karti hai), Rang jamaake(Naseeb) and Lambuji(Coolie).

All the songs that Shailendra ghostvoiced for Rishi were hits.

The last that Shailendra Sing sang for Rishi was in Vinod Mehra’s only directorial Gurudev. Jaipur se nikli gadi is the duo’s signature tune. The train left the station in Bobby but never reached the destined destination.