VETERAN singer Suman Kalyanpur, who gave her voice to hits such as “Na Na Karte” and “Tumne Pukara”, passed away on Sunday evening at her residence due to age-related issues, a close friend said. She was 89. “Rahen Na Rahen Hum”... The strains of that elegiac song played in the backdrop as the last rites of Suman Kalyanpur, who should have been part of a Lata-Asha-Suman playback powerhouse but may not have got her full due, were held in Mumbai on Monday with State honours. “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 PTI. Kalyanpur gained popularity with her melodious voice between the 1960s and 1970s. She managed to create a niche for herself alongside the top singer of the time, Lata Mangeshkar. Some of Kalyanpur’s popular songs are “Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche”, “Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhin Se”, “Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye” and many others. 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. Kalyanpur gained popularity with her melodious voice between the 1960s and 1970s. She managed to create a niche for herself alongside the top singer of the time, Lata Mangeshkar. Some of Kalyanpur’s popular songs are “Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche”, “Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhin Se”, “Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye” and many others. She made her playback debut in Hindi cinema with “Mangu” and sang three songs, but when composer Mohammed Shafi was replaced by O P Nayyar, only one of her tracks were included in the final movie. The song was “Koi Pukare Dheere Se Tujhe”. Her most popular song “Na Tum Hamen Jano” was from Dev Anand-Waheeda Rehman hit “Baat Ek Raat Ki” with music by S D Burman. She also sang the title track for “Dil Ek Mandir Hai”. “Yun Hi Dil Ne Chaha” and “Chura Le Na Tumko Yeh Mausam Suhana” were hits from “Dil Hi To Hai”. The movie also had Mangeshkar and Bhosle as singers alongside Mukesh. In many albums from the era, Kalyanpur got the duet but Mangeshkar the solos.

 

In “Jahan Ara”, she sang the duet “Baad Muddat Ke Yeh Ghadi Aayi” with Rafi. Mangeshkar was credited for the other four songs in the movie. Similarly, in “Sanjh Aur Savera”, “Ajhun Na Aye Balamwa” was sung by Kalyanpur and Rafi while Mangeshkar was credited for solo numbers. Bhosle also sang a duet in the film with Rafi. In 2023, Kalyanpur was awarded with the Padma Bhushan. 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. Kalyanpur gained popularity with her melodious voice between the 1960s and 1970s. She managed to create a niche for herself alongside the top singer of the time, Lata Mangeshkar. Some of Kalyanpur’s popular songs are “Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche”, “Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhin Se”, “Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye” and many others. She made her playback debut in Hindi cinema with “Mangu” and sang three songs, but when composer Mohammed Shafi was replaced by O P Nayyar, only one of her tracks were included in the final movie.

 

The song was “Koi Pukare Dheere Se Tujhe”. Her most popular song “Na Tum Hamen Jano” was from Dev Anand-Waheeda Rehman hit “Baat Ek Raat Ki” with music by S D Burman. She also sang the title track for “Dil Ek Mandir Hai”. “Yun Hi Dil Ne Chaha” and “Chura Le Na Tumko Yeh Mausam Suhana” were hits from “Dil Hi To Hai”. The movie also had Mangeshkar and Bhosle as singers alongside Mukesh. In many albums from the era, Kalyanpur got the duet but Mangeshkar the solos. In “Jahan Ara”, she sang the duet “Baad Muddat Ke Yeh Ghadi Aayi” with Rafi. Mangeshkar was credited for the other four songs in the movie. Similarly, in “Sanjh Aur Savera”, “Ajhun Na Aye Balamwa” was sung by Kalyanpur and Rafi while Mangeshkar was credited for solo numbers. Bhosle also sang a duet in the film with Rafi. In 2023, Kalyanpur was awarded with the Padma Bhushan.