Can’t say if others agree, but Masood Rana’s melodious Teri yaad aa gaee, ghum khushee mein dhal gaey in Chand Aur Chandni is perhaps his best song in a longish career. Karim Shahabuddin’s brilliant tunes in the film from former East Pakistan have great recall factor till today. This particular song was penned by the genius named Akhter Yusuf, who always wrote songs that felt like the mehboob and the country are alternate realities. Just listen to this song, and you’ll feel the poet is mentioning the tragedy that was East Pakistan!

In fact, Suroor Barabankvi’s touching number, Samaan who khwab sa samaan, in Naheen Abhi Naheen has the same dual feel. Those chaps were genuinely lovers of their dharti!

But, talking of Masood Rana, whose death anniversary passed a couple of weeks ago, one can’t forget some of his hits that are so beautiful. He sang his debut song in Shararat, picturized on Mohammad Ali, phrased Ae dil tujhe ab unse yeh kaisee shikayat hai. He was largely wasted in his early career, when he was asked to playback for an elderly Santosh Kumar, which didn’t suit him. Santosh’s personality was complemented nicely by Saleem Raza, so Rana had a lean period. But, later, his voice found Nadeem as his best bet in films like Chand Aur Chandni, Chiragh Kahan Roshni Kahan, Aansoo etc.

When I was an eighth grade student, me and my colleagues used to listen to Pakistani film songs. In those days everyone was gag over Masood Rana’s song from film, Main Akela, titled, Akela hoon, main akela. Brilliant tune and nicely sung by Rana, it was composed by the evergreen Nazir Ali. In the later days, during the Nineties, too much drinking had taken its toll, and Masood Rana died a broken man.