Legendary Playback Singer Suman Kalyanpur Dies At 89, End Of An Era In Indian Music

Mumbai: One of the most celebrated voices in Indian music, veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur passed away on Sunday evening at her residence in Mumbai due to age-related ailments at the age of 89. According to author and close associate Mangala Khadilkar, Kalyanpur had spent her final days listening to her own songs

How did Suman Kalyanpur passed away?

According to Mangala Khadilkar, the veteran singer passed away around 8 pm at her Lokhandwala residence in Mumbai due to age-related ailments. She was 89-years-old. 

Mangala Khadilkar, who authored the acclaimed Marathi biography 'Suman Sugandh' on the singer, told PTI that Suman Kalyanpur had spent her final days listening to her own songs

His last rites will be performed at the Pawan Hans crematorium on Monday between 11:30 am and 12 pm He is survived by his daughter, Charu. Suman received the Padma Bhushan in 2023.

Made special mark in 1960s and 1970s

Suman Kalyanpur carved a niche for herself in the music world with her melodious voice in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite the presence of legendary singers like Lata Mangeshkar, she carved a niche for herself.

Her songs, such as "Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche," "Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhi Se," and "Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye," remain popular even today. The veteran singer sang in Hindi, as well as in several languages, including Marathi, Assamese, Kannada, Bengali, and Odia.

Although people often compared her voice to Lata Mangeshkar's, Suman always rejected this comparison. In a 2022 interview, she described Lata as her very close friend and said that meeting her always felt like meeting a friend.

Voice resembled with Lata Mangeshkar?

Suman Kalyanpur's voice resembled that of Lata Mangeshkar. Their singing style and command of notes were considered similar. People often confused her voice with Lata's.

Because of this quality, when there was a dispute between Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi in the 1960s, Suman Kalyanpur became the choice of the musicians and she sang many blockbuster songs with Rafi Sahab.