The Indian music fraternity has suffered another major loss, just a few weeks after Asha Bhosle’s demise. Veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur, whose velvety voice enchanted generations of listeners, passed away on Sunday, May 31, at the age of 89. Her journey in cinema began with films such as ‘Shukrachi Chandni’ and ‘Mangu’ (1954). Over the years, she lent her voice to several timeless classics, including ‘Sharaabi Sharaabi Yeh Saawan Ka Mausam’, ‘Aajkal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche’, ‘Na Na Karte Pyaar’, ‘Na Tum Hamein Jaano’, ‘Parbaton Ke Pedon Par’ and ‘Nimbonichya Zhaada Maage’. Her collaborations with Mohammed Rafi became very popular. As tributes poured in following the news of her demise, senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar and singer Fayyaz were among the first to express their condolences.Pawar said, “The news of the passing of Suman Kalyanpur is extremely heartbreaking. With her sweet, melodious, and soul-stirring voice, she enriched the world of Indian music. Her immortal songs in Hindi, Marathi, and numerous other regional languages have reigned supreme over the emotional realms of generations. With her demise, the curtains are drawn on an era of gold in Indian classical and light music. I offer my heartfelt tribute to her and extend my condolences to her family.”Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis took to X and said, “ज्येष्ठ पार्श्वगायिका सुमन कल्याणपूर यांच्या निधनाने भारतीय संगीतविश्वातील एक मधुर, सुरेल आणि भावस्पर्शी स्वर आज कायमचा शांत झाला. सहा दशकांहून अधिक काळ आपल्या अद्वितीय गायनाने त्यांनी रसिकांच्या मनावर अधिराज्य गाजवले. मराठी, हिंदी, बंगाली, ओडिया अशा विविध भाषांतील त्यांच्या अजरामर सुरावटी ही संगीतविश्वाची अमूल्य ठेव आहे. ‘पद्मभूषण’ सन्मानाने गौरविलेल्या सुमनजींनी आपल्या जादुई स्वरांनी भारतीय संगीत समृद्ध केले. त्यांच्या गाण्यांतील माधुर्य आणि भावस्पर्शी अभिव्यक्ती सदैव स्मरणात राहील. त्यांच्या निधनाने संगीतविश्वाची मोठी हानी झाली आहे. मी त्यांना भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली अर्पण करतो. त्यांच्या कुटुंबियांच्या दुःखात आम्ही सहभागी आहोत.ॐ शांती! (With the passing of veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur, a sweet, melodious and deeply moving voice in Indian music has fallen silent forever. For more than six decades, she ruled the hearts of music lovers with her unparalleled singing. Her immortal melodies in Marathi, Hindi, Bengali, Odia and several other languages are a priceless treasure of the music world. Honoured with the Padma Bhushan, Sumanji enriched Indian music with her magical voice. The sweetness and emotional depth of her songs will always be remembered. Her demise is a great loss to the world of music. I pay my heartfelt tribute to her. We share in the grief of her family. Om Shanti!)Known for a voice so remarkably similar to that of melody icon Lata Mangeshkar that audiences often confused the two, Suman carved out a distinguished identity of her own across decades of musical excellence.Born as Suman Hemmady on January 28, 1937, in Dhaka, then part of undivided India, she went on to become one of the most celebrated playback singers in Hindi and Marathi cinema. Beyond film music, her repertoire included bhajans, ghazals, Marathi abhangs and bhavgeet, showcasing her versatility as an artiste.After completing her schooling at St. Columba’s School in Mumbai, Suman initially pursued painting and enrolled at the Sir J.J. School of Art. However, music soon became her calling. She trained under renowned gurus including Pt. Keshavrao Bhole, Ustad Khan Abdul Rehman Khan and Master Navrang, laying the foundation for a remarkable career.Suman married businessman Ramanand Kalyanpur in 1958. She is survived by her daughter, Charu Agny.
