Industry Remembers Suman Kalyanpur: ‘The Last Voice Of That Great Era’

Suman Kalyanpur’s journey in Indian music was one of quiet excellence. Beginning her playback career in the early 1950s, she carved a distinct space for herself during an era dominated by giants like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle. Known for her melodious voice and impeccable classical grounding, Kalyanpur recorded songs across Hindi, Marathi and several other Indian languages. Her duets with Mohammed Rafi, including classics such as “Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche,” “Na Na Karte Pyar,” and “Dil Ek Mandir Hai,” remain evergreen. Despite often being compared to Lata Mangeshkar for the similarity of their voices, Kalyanpur built a legacy of her own, earning the Padma Bhushan in 2023 and leaving behind a treasure trove of timeless melodies.

Mayuresh Pai, composer: She was a great singer who had sung in almost 13 languages. Very popular songs in Marathi like “Navika Re Vara Vahe Re,” “Ketakichya Bani Tithe Nachla Mor,” “Nimbonichya Zadamaage” and many more, and of course, in Hindi songs like “Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche,” “Ajhun Na Aye Balamwa,” and others. She had a soft, expressive voice and sang songs of various styles, be it bhajans or romantic tracks. The tone of voice was slightly close to Lata didi’s, but not many people know that she got her first song because of Didi. Lata didi met composer Mohd Shafiji for rehearsal, and there she met Sumanji. Shafiji introduced Sumanji to Didi and said, ‘She’s a very good singer.’ Didi replied, ‘Arey waah, toh yeh gaana usko gaane dijiye na.’ She had a good relationship with Didi and respected her a lot. They even sang a duet composed by Hemant Kumar. In fact, she was a good friend of Ushaji (Usha Mangeshkar). My personal favorites among her songs are “Navika Re” and “Nimbonichya Zadamaage.”

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Hariharan, singer: She was an amazing singer and contributed to the fineness of playback singing. Her voice had a smile to it. She has also done many non-filmi recordings. I wish we could have heard more of her songs.

Kavita Krishnamurthy, singer: I grew up listening to some of her lovely songs like “Ajhun Na Aye Balamwa,” “Thehriye Hosh Mein Aa Loon,” “Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhin Se,” “Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya.” She was quite reclusive. Her husband was a close friend of Mannada’s (Manna Dey). She was the last voice of that great era, and it’s sad to know that she is no more.

Nitin Mukesh, singer: She had a lovely, soulful voice. My father (legendary singer Mukesh) sang many beautiful duets with her. My favorites are Burman dada’s (SD Burman’s) timeless composition “Yeh Kisne Geet Chheda” from “Meri Surat Teri Aankhen” and Naushad saab’s “Mera Pyar Bhi Tu Hai” from “Saathi.” My father was very fond of her. Though he was very close to Lata didi, it didn’t in any way influence his tuning with Sumantai.

Usha Mangeshkar: The so-called rivalry with Lata didi was all nonsense. Suman Kalyanpur was very fond of didi. They were not close friends, but Suman respected and loved Didi. In fact, Didi used to recommend her for songs that she couldn’t sing. I was close friends with her. The nation has lost a wonderful singer, and I have lost another loved one. 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, filmmaker-composer: I loved Sumantai’s voice. She sang such beautiful melodies. My favorite is “Mere Mehboob Na Ja Aaj Ki Raat” from “Noor Mahal.” She sang so many outstanding songs in Marathi. The comparisons with Lataji were so silly and uncalled for. Anyone with an ear for music could tell them apart.