Veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur passed away on Sunday evening at her residence in Lokhandwala, Mumbai. She was 89.
“Suman ji passed away at around 8 pm at her residence in Lokhandwala due to old age. She passed away peacefully. For the last few days she was listening to her own songs,” said Mangala Khadilkar, who authored the Marathi biography ‘Suman Sugandh’ on the singer.
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Early life and background
Suman Kalyanpur was born Suman Hemmadi on January 28, 1937, in Dhaka. Her father, Shankar Rao Hemmadi, came from a family from Hemmadi village in Kundapur Taluk of Udupi District, Karnataka. He served at a senior post in the Central Bank of India and was posted to Dhaka for a long period. Suman was the eldest among five daughters and one son.
In 1943, her family moved to Mumbai, where she received her musical training. Her early inclinations were towards painting. She studied at the Sir JJ School of Art, but music soon took over. She trained under classical musicians including Keshavrao Bhole and Abdul Rehman Khan.
Start of a musical career
Suman first sang in the Marathi film ‘Shukrachi Chandni’, released in 1953. In the early 1950s, while still in her teens, she began singing on radio and then for films, making her playback debut around 1954.
She entered Hindi cinema with the 1954 release ‘Mangu’, in which she sang a lullaby titled “Koi Pukare Dheere Se Tujhe”.
As her career progressed, she sang for composers Shankar Jaikishan, Roshan, Madan Mohan Kohli, SD Burman, N. Datta, Hemant Kumar, Chitragupta, Naushad, and Laxmikant-Pyarelal, among many others.
Career peak: 1960s and 1970s
She made mark in music industry when icons like Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle were already first choices for music directors. Suman carved out her own path.
She sang over 140 duets with Mohammed Rafi in the 1960s. Her duets with Rafi remain classics even today.
She has sung over 740 movie and non-movie songs. She sang in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Angika, Bhojpuri, Rajasthani, Odia, and Punjabi.
Some of her best-known songs include “Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche”, “Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhin Se”, and “Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye”. Her hits also include “Zindagi Imtihan Leti Hai” and “Dil Gham Se Jal Raha”.
The Lata Mangeshkar comparison
Throughout her career, Kalyanpur’s voice was frequently compared to that of Lata Mangeshkar. Her voice was often mistaken for that of Lata Mangeshkar.
Kalyanpur herself remained remarkably reticent. She rarely gave interviews, avoided public controversy, and maintained that she held Lata Mangeshkar in the highest regard. When Lata passed away in 2022, Suman described her death as “heartbreaking”.
In later years, younger listeners discovered her through digital playlists and “guess the singer” clips in which her songs were routinely mistaken for Lata’s. This led not to resentment, but to renewed appreciation for the subtle differences that made a Suman Kalyanpur rendition distinctly her own.
Marathi music legacy
Kalyanpur left significant mark on Marathi music. Popular Marathi songs like ‘Ketakichya Bani Tithe’, ‘Sang Kadhi Kalnar Tula’, ‘Nimbonyachya Jhadamaghe’ in her voice are still remembered by music lovers.
Suman Kalyanpur was awarded India’s third highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2023.
Tributes pour in
Political leaders and public figures responded quickly to the news of her death.
भारतीय संगीत सृष्टीतील लोकप्रिय, दिग्गज व ज्येष्ठ पार्श्वगायिका पद्मभूषण सुमन कल्याणपूर यांच्या निधनाचे वृत्त अतिशय दुःखद आहे. त्यांना माझी भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजली. सुमन कल्याणपूर यांचे जाणे ही भारतीय संगीत सृष्टीची मोठी हानी आहे. मराठी, हिंदीसह अनेक भाषांमध्ये त्यांनी हजारों गाणी…
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) May 31, 2026
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari called the news of her passing “heartbreaking” and described it as a “great loss to the Indian music world.” He said: “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.”
ज्येष्ठ पार्श्वगायिका सुमन कल्याणपूर यांच्या निधनाने भारतीय संगीतविश्वातील एक मधुर, सुरेल आणि भावस्पर्शी स्वर आज कायमचा शांत झाला. सहा दशकांहून अधिक काळ आपल्या अद्वितीय गायनाने त्यांनी रसिकांच्या मनावर अधिराज्य गाजवले. मराठी, हिंदी, बंगाली, ओडिया अशा विविध भाषांतील त्यांच्या… pic.twitter.com/Yb83fRmKvx
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) May 31, 2026
The Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, wrote: “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.”
ज्येष्ठ पार्श्वगायिका सुमन कल्याणपूर यांच्या निधनाचे वृत्त अत्यंत दुःखद आहे. आपल्या मधुर, सुरेल आणि भावस्पर्शी आवाजाने त्यांनी भारतीय संगीतविश्व समृद्ध केलं. हिंदी, मराठीसह अनेक प्रादेशिक भाषांतील त्यांच्या अजरामर गीतांनी अनेक पिढ्यांच्या भावविश्वावर अधिराज्य गाजवलं.
त्यांच्या… pic.twitter.com/RZike9Xk1G
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) May 31, 2026
NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar described her death as the “end of era of gold in realm of Indian classical and light music.” He said: “With her sweet, melodious, soul-stirring voice, she enriched world of Indian music. Her immortal songs in Hindi, Marathi, and numerous other regional languages have reigned supreme over the emotional realms of generations.”
प्रसिद्ध गायिका पद्मभूषण सुमन कल्याणपूर यांच्या निधनाचे वृत्त अतिशय दुखद आहे. सुमन कल्याणपूर यांच्या गाण्यात माधुर्य होते, तरल भाव होता व पावित्र्य होते. त्यांनी गायलेले प्रत्येक गीत थेट हृदयाला भिडणारे होते. त्यांच्या निधनाने संगीत जगतातील पवित्र देव्हारा रिकामा झाला आहे.
— Governor of Maharashtra (@maha_governor) May 31, 2026
Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma expressed deep sorrow over her death, praising her sweet and pure voice.