Born in 1924 at Kotla Sultan Singh, a village near Amritsar, Mohammed Rafi, nicknamed ?Pheeko?, the second youngest of Hajji Ali Mohammed and Allah Rakhi?s six sons, started singing early, deeply inspired by the songs of a wandering fakir in the village. In the 1920s, circumstances compelled Rafi?s father to move to Lahore where he opened a small dhaba. Rafi?s elder brother, Mohammed Deen started a barber shop in Noor Mohalla, Bhatti Gate in the same city, with Rafi lending him a helping hand. Meanwhile, Mohammed Deen?s friend, Abdul Hameed recognized Rafi?s talent and encouraged him to sing. Later, he convinced the reluctant family to allow him to take Rafi to Bombay. In 1944, the two arrived in an alien city from where Mohammed Rafi slowly won over the heart of an entire nation.