Veteran singer Suman Kalyanpur, known for timeless hits such as Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhin Se and Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye, died on Sunday evening at her residence due to age-related health issues, a close friend said.
She was 89.
“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 acclaimed Marathi biography Suman Sugandh on the singer, told PTI.
Kalyanpur rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s with her melodious voice. She carved a niche for herself alongside the era’s leading playback singer, Lata Mangeshkar.
Some of her most popular songs include Aajkal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche, Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhin Se and Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye.
She recorded songs in several languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Kannada, Bengali and Odia. She also sang devotional songs, ghazals and thumris.
Although many compared her voice to that of Lata Mangeshkar, Kalyanpur always dismissed the comparison. In a 2022 interview with PTI, she described Mangeshkar 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.
Kalyanpur’s last rites will be held at the Pawan Hans crematorium on Monday between 11.30 am and 12 noon.
She is survived by her daughter, Charu.
