Legendary singer Suman Kalyanpur, best known for songs like: Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche and Naa Naa Karte Pyar Tumhin Se Kar Baithe it no longer exists. Weeks after Asha Bhosle passed away, Suman Kalyanpur breathed her last on May 31, 2026. She was 89 years old at the time of her passing.
Veteran singer Suman Kalyanpur passed away at her residence in Mumbai. It has been a great loss for the music world as his voice was admired by millions. Suman was known for her timeless melodies that left her fans in mourning. Well, her family has not revealed the exact cause of death, but Suman’s voice was always confused with Lata Mangeshkar’s voice.
Suman Kalyanpur’s voice had a lot of similarity with Lata Mangeshkar’s.
For the unversed, the original name of Suman Kalyanpur was Suman Hemmadi. She was known for recording songs for many films in languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Angika, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Odia and Punjabi. The stalwart’s voice was very similar to that of Lata mangeshkar, the late queen of melody. Many times listeners used to confuse the voice of one with that of the other.
When Suman Kalyanpur admitted that her voice was similar to Lata Mangeshkar
Suman Kalyanpur, in an interview with The Times of India, once revealed how she felt when her voice was compared to that of Lata Mangeshkar. Suman had agreed that her voice was very similar to Lata’s, but the comparison didn’t affect her at all. In his words:
“My voice is similar to Lata tai’s. But if you listen closely, a connoisseur can tell them apart. I sang each song to the best of my ability. I never worried about comparisons people made. I never imitated anyone because I firmly believed in sticking to my own singing style.”
For the unversed, Suman was best known for singing in films like Miyan Bibi Razi (1960), Baat Ek Raat Ki (1962), Dil Ek Mandir (1963), Say Hello to Hai (1963), shagon (1964), Jahan Ara (1964), Sanjh Aur Savera (1964), Noor Jehan (1967), Saathi (1968) and also pakeezah (1971). He has also worked with great artists like Shankar-Jaikishan, Roshan, Madan Mohan, Kohli, SD Burman, N. Datta, Hemant Kumar, Chitragupta, Naushad, SN Tripathi, Ghulam Mohammed, Kalyanji-Anandji, Vasant Desai, Ravi Shankar Sharma, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Bulo C. Rani and Usha Khanna.
When Suman Kalyanpur recalled her first meeting with Lata Mangeshkar, who praised her voice.
Suman Kalyanpur’s voice bore a striking resemblance to Lata Mangeshkar’s, and Suman once had fond memories of Lata Mangeshkar. Suman shared that his first meeting with Lata didi was during the recording of the film’s song, mangu. In his words:
“I thought he heard me sing. And as he walked by the recording room, he said I sang well. I met didi a few times, mostly at the beginning of my career. Every time we saw each other, I felt a strange closeness, like I knew her from another life.”
Suman Kalyanpur’s family did not support her singing career.
In one of her previous interviews, Suman Kalyanpur had emphasized that her family never approved of her public performances, even though she had a strong inclination towards music. However, he did not refuse to sing for All India Radio in 1952. He then sang for a Marathi film called Shukra Chi Chandni. It was released in 1953. It was with the film, mangu that Suman started singing back in 1954 for Hindi cinema. When the news of Suman’s death broke, it was Sharad Pawar’s daughter who was one of the first to express her condolences. She had written:
“The news of Suman Kalyanpur’s passing away is extremely heartbreaking. With his sweet, melodious and soulful voice, he enriched the world of Indian music. His immortal songs in Hindi, Marathi and many other regional languages have reigned over the emotional realms of generations. With his passing away, the curtain closes on a golden era in Indian classical and light music. I offer him my deepest tribute and extend my condolences to his family.”
Suman Kalyanpur, before becoming a singer, had learned to paint.
Suman was born in Dhaka (undivided India) on January 28, 1937. She had made a great career as a Hindi and Marathi playback singer. She was also known for singing non-cinematic songs, bhajans, ghazals and Marathi abhang and bhavgeet. Suman went to St Columba’s School in Mumbai and then to JJ School of Art, where he learned painting. Suman then learned music from Pt Keshavrao Bhole, Ustad Khan Abdul Rehman Khan and Master Navrang. He achieved success with two films, Shukrachi Chandni and Mangu. His voice is best known for songs like Rahein na rahein hum, Aajkal tere mere pyar ke charche, Na na karte pyaar, Na tum hamein jaano, Parbaton ke pedon par and Nimbonichya zhaada maage.
Rest in peace, Suman Kalyanpur.
Also Read: Who Was Suman Kalyanpur’s Husband Ramanand? Businessman, accompanied her to the recordings
