He composed music for many Bombay based movies in the 1930-40s. Sikandar (1941) and Laila Majnu (1945) were some of his big movies. His tones were also used in Hollywood movie The Theif of Baghdad (1940).
Rafiq Ghaznavi appeared as hero and in the title role in the first ever Punjabi film Heer Ranjha in 1932. His apposite was actress Anwar Begum who became his wife. Their daughter Shahina was another actress but his grand daughter Salma Agha got more fame. Famous film director Zia Sarhadi was his son-of-law, who was father of another TV artist Khayyam Sarhadi (The father of TV artist Zhalay Sarhadi).
Rafiq Ghaznavi died on March 2, 1974.