Veteran singer Suman Kalyanpur, who was known for her popular Bollywood hits such as "Na Na Karte" and "Tumne Pukara", passed away on Sunday evening at her residence due to age-related issues. She was 89.
"Suman ji passed away at around 8 pm at her residence in Lokhandwala due to old age. She passed away peacefully. For the last few days she was listening to her own songs," Mangala Khadilkar, who authored the acclaimed Marathi biography 'Suman Sugandh' on the singer, told news agency PTI. The last rites for Kalyanpur will be held at the Pawan Hans crematorium on Monday, around 11.30 am to 12 pm.
Suman Kalyanpur Songs
Kalyanpur gained popularity with her melodious voice between the 1960s and 1970s. Some of Kalyanpur's popular songs are "Aajkal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche", "Na Na Karte Pyaar", "Rahen Na Rahen Hum", "Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aye", "Na Jane Kahan Ham The", "Yeh Kisne Geet Chheda', "Mera Pyar Bhi Tu Hai" and many more. She sang songs in several languages including Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Kannada, Bengali, Oriya, and others. She also sang devotional songs, ghazals, and thumris.
Although many compared her voice to that of the legendary Lata Mangeshkar, Kalyanpur always dismissed the comparison. In a 2022 interview with PTI, she referred to Mangeshkar as a close friend. "Everyone loved her songs, and she will be immortal. We recorded a duet together for the film 'Chaand'. Every time I met her, it felt like I met a close friend. I believe she felt the same," she said at the time.
Suman Kalyanpur Family
Suman Kalyanpur was born Suman Hemmadi on January 28, 1937 in Dhaka, then part of British India. Her father, Shankar Rao Hemmadi, belonged to a Saraswat Brahmin family from Hemmadi, a village in Kundapur taluk of Karnataka's Udupi district. He held a senior position at the Central Bank of India and was posted in Dhaka for a long period.
Suman was the eldest of six children (five daughters and one son), born to Shankar Rao Hemmadi and Seeta Hemmadi. In 1943, the family moved to Mumbai, where Suman received her musical training.
In 1958, Suman Hemmadi married Mumbai-based businessman Ramanand Kalyanpur, after which she became known as Suman Kalyanpur. The couple had a daughter, Charul Agny, who later settled in the United States after her marriage. Suman Kalyanpur's granddaughter, Aaishanni Agny, returned to India and founded an NGO in Mumbai in her grandmother's name.
Maharashtra Leaders Pay Rich Tributes
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde on Sunday mourned the death of veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur, remembering her as one of India's most celebrated voices whose songs shaped generations of music lovers.
Fadnavis described her passing as the loss of a divine voice that enriched India's musical heritage for more than six decades.
Fadnavis said Kalyanpur initially trained in painting but found her true calling in music, going on to establish herself as one of the most respected playback singers in the country. Her sweet voice and command over classical music made her songs immensely popular, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s, he said.
The chief minister said that Kalyanpur made an indelible contribution not only to Marathi music but also to Hindi, Bengali and Odia songs. Born in Dhaka in the then-undivided India and later settled in Mumbai, she was honoured with the Padma Bhushan for her contribution.
Fadnavis said Kalyanpur's work in playback singing, devotional music and emotional songs significantly enriched India's musical legacy. Her timeless songs will continue to live on in the hearts of listeners, he said.
“Though her immortal songs will remain with us forever, the absence of the gentle and graceful Sumanji will always be felt,” the chief minister said.
NCP SP chief Sharad Pawar expressed grief over the demise of veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur, saying her death marks the end of a golden era in Indian classical and light music. In a condolence message, Pawar said that Kalyanpur's contribution to Indian music would be remembered for years to come and that her songs would continue to resonate with music lovers across the country. "The passing of Suman Kalyanpur marks the end of a golden chapter in Indian classical and light music,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that with the passing of the veteran singer, who reigned over Indian music with her timeless, sweet melodies, the “Suman” (flower) of music has withered, and India's music world has suffered a great loss.
He said Kalyanpur was not merely a singer but represented a golden era of Indian light classical and film music. With her deeply expressive and melodious voice, she immortalised thousands of songs in Marathi, Hindi and other languages. The purity and emotive quality of her voice struck directly at the hearts of listeners, he said.
The devotional songs and fishermen's (Koli) songs she sang still feel equally fresh. Despite having no formal musical legacy behind her, she built an unshakable place in the world of music through her talent and rigorous practice, Shinde added.
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