Mohammed Rafi is one of the most popular and respected playback singers of India and widely considered as the greatest singer of Indian cinema. He was one of the most versatile singers: 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. Between 1950 and 1970, Rafi was the most sought after singer in the Hindi film industry, Rafi received six Filmfare Awards and one National Film Award. In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri award by the Government of India. less