“Without songs, my Daastan-E-Rafi would have been a body without soul”: Rajni Acharya

By Jyothi Venkatesh

The ace journalist cum PR person Rajni Acharya, who was born in Karachi (of undivided India) dedicated and devoted enthusiast of creative Media was destined to be a LIFEOGRAPHER, ma term specially coined for him by me after noting his special skills of presenting biography in a different cinematic style, called by his as a lifeography. His unique different style has set him a0part from other documentary filmmakers.

Rajni Acharya who has also served as President of Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA), has also directed several short films and documentaries for youtube. In this exclusive interview for Senior JYOTHI VENKATESH, especially to mark the 43rd death anniversary of late Mohammad Rafi, Rajni confesses that it was not an easy task to make a documentary on the late singer Mohammad Rafi, called Dastaan E Rafi, which has been showcased at Knowledge Gate Literary Festival in Hyderabad, besides Indywood Film Carnival at Ramoji Rao Film City, Hyderabad.

How did you embark on the journey of coming up with a documentary on Rafi?

In the first place, Sujata Deo, wife of my friend Amit Deo was planning to write a book on Rafi. We decided to join hands without interfering with one another’s sphere creativity-wise. She wrote the book and I shot for my film titled Dastaan-E-Rafi.

Why did you choose to make a documentary on Rafi instead of Saigal, or Kishore?

I chose Mohammad Rafi as my subject because he is one of the best not only in India but also Asia, besides being a playback singer of exceptional quality. When I started making the documentary on Rafi, I realized that Rafisaab has also been a great silent donor and philanthropist and a great human being.

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What is your background as a documentary filmmaker?

I have directed around 400 documentaries and short films for different NGOs, besides having been a journalist. I was also associated with the leading TV channel ATN as its Vice President. My stint as a PR person helped me get singers and music directors for the interviews for the documentaries and my stint as a journalist helped me interview people who were close to Rafisaab like Khayyam. I was also associated in Jayantilal Gada’s projects like P Se P M Tak in production. I share a very unique relationship with him for a long time.

Did you have the opportunity to meet Rafi in person?

I was very young when I met him at a recording of a song composed by Lakshmikant and Pyarelal as Pyarelal’s son Mahesh Sharma is a dear friend of mine.

Tell me about your documentary Daastan E Rafi!

My documentary Daastan E Rafi and has duration of around two hours, though we shot for over 300 hours. It took me and my team around five years and 120 shooting days in Mumbai, Lahore, Karachi and Punjab to make this rare documentary , which was released by Shemaroo guys who are very good friends of mine for the last several years. I would be failing in my duty if I do not make a mention of Shemaroo because without songs, a documentary is like a body without soul.

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How much of the footage was shot and how much you got from various sources?

But for 10% which my co-director Vinay Patel and I obtained from sources like Doordarshan and Films Division, we have shot most of the documentary on our own, with Prakash Karlekar as the cameraman. Nothing was downloaded from the youtube. Though we did try to approach various legends including the late Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle and late Dilip Kumar, unfortunately we did not get a positive response. We would have been happy if we had got their cooperation but now we have no regrets or complaints. May be they had their own reservations.

How tough or easy was it for you to select Rafi’s songs for your documentary?

It is 100% my team’s labour of love. We feel we have done nothing and it is just Rafisaab’s divine hands that goaded us to make the film. I did not have any hand at the selection of the songs for the documentary, though I like each and every song of Rafisaab as a Rafi lover. Only those songs were selected which were part of the requirement for the documentary as mentioned by Shammi Kapoor, Jeetendra etc.

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What next, after Dastan E Rafi?

I am right now working on the documentary ‘Sur Shabdnu Sarnamu’ on popular music composer and lyricist of Gujarati films Avinash Vyas, and Life Is Eternal, based on the famous surgeon on the cancer specialist Dr Harikesh Buch, Mumbai Na Samachar 200 Not Out on the journey of the Gujarati newspaper, being published for the last 200 years, Bissau Ki Mook Ramleela, based on a unique style of Ramleela, being staged in Bissau village of Rajasthan, since the last 170 years, Victor Pereira No 1 wigmaker, based on them interesting life journey of the famous Wig Maker of Bollywood, besides Zameen Se Judi Unchi Udaan, based on the life of Sunil Patodia, a farmer turned business tycoon, besides AGM, based on the roller-coaster life of the successful and well known builder Ashok Mohanani, who is running a successful building construction company.