Raj Kapoor preferred singer Mukesh as his playback singing voice. Awara hun, Mera joota hai japani, Ruk ja o janewali ruk ja, Chhalia mera naam, Mera naam Raju gharana a-naam, and countless other Mukesh songs lip-synched by Raj Kapoor on the screen. When Mukesh died (in 1976), Raj Kapur said he had lost his voice.
