Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has paid emotional tribute to veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur, mourning the loss of her divine and melodious voice in Indian music.
In his condolence message, Fadnavis noted that Sumanji initially studied painting before dominating the hearts of fans for over six decades with her melodious and classical melodies.
Her songs filled the 1950s and 1960s with timeless music, the Chief Minister’s office said in a press release. Suman Kalyanpur left an indelible mark not only in Marathi but also in Hindi, Bengali, and Odia languages. Born in Dhaka in the then-undivided India, she later settled in Mumbai and was honoured with the Padma Bhushan civilian award.
Fadnavis described her as having enriched Indian music with Bhava, devotional songs, and playback singing. He termed her passing a great loss to the arts, expressing his heartfelt tribute on the social media platform X:
“With the passing of veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur, a sweet, melodious, and soul-stirring voice in the Indian music world has fallen forever silent today. For over six decades, she reigned supreme in the hearts of music lovers with her unparalleled singing. Her immortal melodies in languages such as Marathi, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, and others remain an invaluable treasure of the music world. Honoured with the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award, Sumanji enriched Indian music with her magical voice. The sweetness and emotive expression in her songs will forever linger in memory. Her demise marks a profound loss to the music world. I offer my heartfelt tribute to her. We share in the grief of her family. Om Shanti”
Suman Kalyanpur, known for her songs in the Hindi and Marathi film industries, passed away aged 89.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and other ministers also paid tribute to the veteran singer. Gadkari described her death as “heartbreaking” and a “great loss to the Indian music world,” writing on his X handle:
“The news of the passing of Padma Bhushan Suman Kalyanpur, the popular, legendary, and senior playback singer in the Indian music world, is extremely heartbreaking. My heartfelt tribute to her. Suman Kalyanpur’s departure is a great loss to the Indian music world. In Marathi, Hindi, and many other languages, she immortalised thousands of songs with her voice. Popular Marathi songs like ‘Ketakichya Bani Tithe’, ‘Sang Kadhi Kalnar Tula’, ‘Nimbonyachya Jhadamaghe’ in Sumanji’s sweet voice are still on the lips of music lovers today. Her unparalleled contribution to the Indian music field is immense. May God grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to Sumanji’s near and dear ones to recover from this sorrow. Om Shanti”
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde called her songs evergreen and said they would “resonate in the firmament of Indian music.” On his X handle, Shinde wrote:
“With her candid, pure, and sattvic notes that restored sanctity to music, the sad demise of the senior and supreme singer Suman Kalyanpur has snapped a melodious thread that connected two generations of music lovers. Through her voice, she expressed the emotions of many generations, gave words to love, melody to devotion, and the companionship of music to life’s tender moments. With the strength of her gentle, pure, and emotionally resonant voice, she carved out a unique place for herself in the world of music.
Over the past seven decades, she satiated connoisseurs with countless immortal songs. In the Hindi film industry, her many duets sung alongside Mohammed Rafi remain fresh in the memory of listeners even today. Songs like ‘Na Tum Humen Jano’ and ‘Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche’ further solidified the enchantment of her voice.
In Marathi sentimental songs, devotional songs, and film songs as well, she left an indelible mark with her singing. Not just in Marathi, but in Hindi, Gujarati, and Bengali languages too, she sang numerous compositions. In recognition of her boundless service to music, the Government of India honoured her in 2023 with the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award, one of the country’s highest civilian honours. Though she is no longer with us today, her voice remains eternal. Time will march on, generations will change, but Suman Kalyanpur’s sweet, sattvic, and soul-touching voice will forever resonate in the firmament of Indian music. A heartfelt tribute.”
Suman Kalyanpur was known for timeless classics such as ‘Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche’ and ‘Naa Naa Karte Pyar Tumhin Se Kar Baithe’. Her voice was often mistaken for that of Lata Mangeshkar’s. She sang two duets with Mangeshkar before establishing a successful career as a playback singer. She was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2023.