Dr Rajiv Vijayakar

He was the voice of the masses.

He had less than 1,000 songs to his credit, but over 900 hits. This, during a career spanning over 35 years from Nirdosh (1941) to his untimely death in 1976.

From Raj Kapoor and Manoj Kumar to Dilip Kumar, Jeetendra and Rajesh Khanna, Mukesh was the voice for them all.

It was Mukeshchand Mathur's 'soulful' melancholy that captured the audience's attention as he sang qawwalis, ghazals, devotionals, intricate raga-based songs and comic numbers.

Though his own luck was extremely capricious, Mukesh was, ironically, a lucky mascot for various music directors, stars, even cosingers and lyricists.

To date, it is his exquisite voice and inimitable rendition that kept many a vintage film alive.

On his 25th death anniversary on August 27, rediff.com lists 25 films that spun the Mukesh magic:

Aabroo: This non-starcast (Deepak Kumar and Vimi), 1969 success has long since faded into obscurity.

But the Mukesh solo, Jinhein hum bhoolna chahe woh aksar yaad aate hai, written by G L Rawal and composed by Sonik-Omi lingers on.

Anjaan raahen: Indeewar's revolutionary thoughts, Mujhe nahin poonchni tumse beeti baatein/ Kaise bhi guzaari ho tumne apni raatein were characteristic of the master's 'psychotherapeutic' poetry.

The elegant Kalyanji-Anandji-Mukesh wonder lives on in connoisseurs' hearts, as the film's failure never gave it its due at that time.

Beti: Sonik-Omi's Yeh kya kiya re duniyawale remains the only 'living' song from a score that was, at the time of its release, a hit like the film.

It was one of the last great songs of Naushad's pet writer, Shakeel Badayuni.

Boond Jo Ban Gayee Moti: Satish Bhatia, composer of this V Shantaram Jeetendra-Mumtaz flop, never scored for a film again, but just two Mukesh numbers, Haan maine pyar kiya (with Suman) and the stunning Yeh kaun chitrakaar hai, are musical treasures.

Chetna: At the time of its 1971 release, three aspects made it a sensation: B R Ishara's bold theme, Rehana Sultan's legs and the Mukesh solo Main to har mod par tujhko doonga sadaa.

Today, the first two have long been forgotten; the song lives on.

Chhalia: This R D Burman flop is noteworthy for Zindagi mein aap aaye, the only Vani Jairam (of Bole re papiharaa fame) hit duet. And it was Mukesh who sang with her.

Darinda: This weird thriller sank without a trace. But Mukesh cemented his long association with K-A by his terrific swansong: Chahe aaj mujhe napasand karo.

Didi: Colleague Sudha Malhotra whimsically turned composer with this song, little knowing then that this duet with Mukesh Tum mujhe bhool bhi jao would be all that was remembered.

Diwana: Shanker Jaikishan scored fabulous music for this 1967 Raj Kapoor-Saira Banu disaster, and this Mukesh-monopolised score endures to this day in re-releases with songs like Diwana mujhko log kahe, Tumhari bhi jai jai, Hum to jaate apne gaon, Taaron se pyaare and Ae sanam jisne tujhe.

Hum Hindustani: Usha Khanna's music in Rani Mukherji's father's flop film lives on in its two Mukesh gems: the hit titletrack, Chhodo kal ki baatein and the exquisite Aaj subah nahin hone wali.

Kahin Pyar Na Ho Jaye: Thumak thumak mat chalo is the only memory of this obscure 1963 Mehmood film with music by Kalyanji-Anandji.

Lal Bungla: One of Mukesh's famous trilogy of "chand" songs in the Sixties (the others being from Phool Bane Angarey and Himalay Ki God Mein) Chand ko kya maaloom is the crowning glory of this B-grade Usha Khanna hit -- and all that survives from it today.

Milap: Kayi sadiyon se, composed by Brij Bhushan for this reincarnation flop in 1973, remains Shatrughan Sinha's first-ever hit song, and his most enduring one.

My Love: The film was shot in Africa, and faced rough weather at the BO, but Woh tere pyar ka gham and Zikra hota hai, the two Mukesh solos composed by the small-timer Daan Singh for Shashi Kapoor, remain alive more than three decades later.

Nadaan: Navin Nischol's song of unrequited love, Jeevan bhar dhoonda jisko emerged as the sole survivor of this Deven Verma production that crashed in 1971.

It was Jaikishan's last hit with the golden voice.

Parvarish: The Raj Kapoor-Mala Sinha film was a hit, and so were some other songs at the time.

But today, the name Parvarish either means a 1977 Manmohan Desai blockbuster or the Mukesh evergreen, Aansoo bhari hai yeh jeevan ki raahen from the Kapoor film.

Pehli Nazar: Dil jaltaa hai to jalne de was the first song that made people take notice of Mukesh, way back in 1945.

Pushpanjali: The 1969 Kishore Sahu flop had this Laxmikant Pyarelal-Anand Bakshi gem which would fit our sentiments about Mukesh's absence today: Duniya se jaanewale jaane chale jaate hain kahaan.

Rani Rupmati: Freedom fighter turned music composer S N Tripathi's haunting Aa laut ke aaja mere meet remains one of Mukesh's prime hits.

Sabak: Usha Khanna churned out yet another Mukesh evergreen in this small film starring Shatrughan Sinha.

Originally filmed with a supporting artiste, Barkhaa rani zaraa jamke barso so hooked the Shotgun that he insisted that it be removed from the released film and reshot with his heroine-cum-future wife Poonam Chandiramani!

Saheli: The Kalyanji-Anandji nugget, Jis dil mein basaa tha pyar tera is the only thing one remembers of the film.

Sambandh: O P Nayyar composed less than six songs for Mukesh in his life. Still Chal akela ranks among Mukesh's best.

Sangeet Samrat Tansen: Classicist S N Tripathi made Mukesh scale high notes in Jhoomti chali hawa. Most people, however, couldn't care less about the film.

Yahudi: This was a period film, but the Mukesh solo, Yeh mera diwanapan hai adapted by Shanker Jaikishan from a Greek tune is a song forever.

Dilip Kumar, it is said, agreed to do this film only after hearing this recorded song.

Zindagi Aur Toofan: The film came and went faster than a meteor, but left a beautiful remnant -- Ek hasrat thi ke aanchal ka mujhe pyar mile/ Maine manzil ko talaasha mujhe bazaar mile