Suman Kalyanpur, whose voice often drew comparisons to Lata Mangeshkar, passed away at 89, leaving behind a legacy of popular Bollywood songs from the 1960s and 1970s.
Key Points
- Suman Kalyanpur, the renowned playback singer often compared to Lata Mangeshkar, passed away at 89.
- She delivered several chart-topping duets and solos, including Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche and Mera Pyar Bhi Tu Hai.
- Composers like Naushad and Kalyanji praised her ability to make the most of the opportunities she received.
Suman Kalyanpur, who passed away on May 31 at the age of 89, was constantly compared to Lata Mangeshkar.
“I can’t help it if my voice sounded like Latabai‘s! When I was in college, I was a huge fan, just like the rest of the country. Since my voice was similar, I was persuaded to pursue a career in playback singing. I was happy with whatever came my way. I got to sing popular songs in the 1960s and 1970s,” Sumantai (as she was affectionately called) had once told Subhash K Jha.
Early Life and Musical Journey
Suman Kalyanpur was born as Suman Hemmadi on January 28, 1937, in Dacca. In 1943, her family moved to Bombay, where she received her musical training. She learnt classical vocal singing from Pandit Keshav Rao Bhole.
‘Initially, singing was just a hobby. Gradually, my interest in music increased and I became more professional in my singing,’ she had said.
Rising to Prominence
In the mid-1960s when Lataji had a fall-out with Mohammed Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur benefited the most.
Composers had no choice but to replace Lataji with Suman Kalyanpur, and she sang chartblazers like Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche (Brahmachari) and Tumse Oh Haseena Mohabbat (Farz).
Suman Kalyanpur’s more distinctive numbers include Ram Jaane Kaise Pal Mein Badal Jaate Hain (Badalte Rishte), and the title song of the Rishi Kapoor-Reena Roy-Jeetendra starrer Badalte Rishte.
In Na Na Karte Pyar (Jab Jab Phool Khile), Kalyanji-Anandji’s blockbuster score included Suman Kalyanpur’s voice.
In Apne Piya Ki Main Toh Bani Re Joganiya (Kan Kan Mein Bhagwan), composed by Shivram, she made the best of the small projects which could not afford Lataji.
Unforgettable Duets
In the film Saathi, Composer Naushad had already recorded three scintillating solos with Lataji. For the heartbreaking duet Mera Pyar Bhi Tu Hai with Mukesh, Naushad needed Lataji‘s dates but she was unavailable. Naushad asked Sumantai to step in.
As luck would have it, Mera Pyar Bhi Tu Hai became the most popular song of Saathi.
The duet Aap Se Humko Bichde Huey in a film called Vishwas also came Suman Kalyanpur’s way when Lataji was unavailable. Again, this became the most popular song in the soundtrack.
When Subhash asked Kalyanji how this song went to Suman Kalyanpur, he said, “It’s not about how she got it. It’s about what she made of it.”
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
