Veteran Singer Suman Kalyanpur Passes Away At 89

Suman Kalyanpur, the legendary and senior playback singer, breathed her last on Sunday (May 31) evening at her residence in Mumbai due to age-related health issues. She was 89.

Suman Kalyanpur dies

"Suman ji died at around 8 pm at her residence in Lokhandwala due to old age. She died peacefully. Over the last few days, she had been listening to her own songs," Mangala Khadilkar, who wrote the Marathi biography Suman Sugandh on the singer, told PTI.

Who was Suman Kalyanpur?

Born on January 28, 1937, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the veteran singer lent her voice in Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Kannada, and several other Indian languages during the 1950s to the 1970s. Many found her voice similar to Lata Mangeshkar.

Kalyanpur made her Hindi film debut in the mid-1950s and recorded hundreds of songs with legendary composers and singers, especially Mohammed Rafi.

Aajkal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche, Na Na Karke Pyaar and Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye are some of the popular Hindi songs.

Her contribution to the Marathi music industry is immense. She also sang devotional songs, ghazals and thumris.

She was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2023 for her contributions to Indian music.

As many compared her voice to Lata Mangeshkar, Kalyanpur, in a 2022 interview with PTI, described the latter as a close friend.

"Everyone loved her songs, and she will remain immortal. We recorded a duet together for the film Chaand. Every time I met her, it felt like meeting a close friend. I believe she felt the same," she had said.

Tributes started pouring in for the legendary singer after the news of her passing away broke. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, and Nitin Gadkari mourned the death of Suman Kalyanpur.

Suman Kalyanpur is survived by her daughter, Charu. Her last rites will be held at the Pawan Hans crematorium today between 11.30 am and 12 pm.