Playback Singer Suman Kalyanpur Passes Away ; Nitin Gadkari, Eknath Shinde Pay Tribute

Mumbai: Padma Bhushan Suman Kalyanpur, known for her songs in Hindi and Marathi film industry, passed away at the age of 89. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other ministers paid tribute to the veteran singer and remembered his contribution to Indian music. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari called Suman Kalyanpur’s death “heartbreaking” and called it a “huge loss for the Indian music world”.

“The news of the demise of Padma Bhushan Suman Kalyanpur, the popular, legendary and veteran playback singer of the Hindi music world, is extremely heartbreaking. I remember him wholeheartedly. Suman Kalyanpur’s departure is a great loss for the Indian music world. He immortalized thousands of songs in Marathi, Hindi and many other languages with his voice. Popular Marathi songs like ‘Ketakichya Bani Tithe’, ‘Sang Kadhi Kalnar Tula’ are a tribute to Sumanji’s sweet voice. ‘Nimbonyachya Jhadamaghe’ is still on the lips of music lovers today. His unique contribution to the Indian musical field is immense. May God grant peace to the departed soul and give strength to Sumanji’s near and dear ones to overcome this grief,” Nitin Gadkari wrote on the X handle.

Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid tribute to the singer, saying that the singer’s songs are evergreens that will “resonate in the skies of Indian music”. “The sad demise of senior and transcendent singer Suman Kalyanpur, with her sincere, pure and sattvic notes that restored its sanctity to music, severed a melodic bond that connected two generations of music lovers. Through her voice, she expressed the emotions of many generations, giving words to love, melody to devotion and the companionship of music to the tender moments of life. With the power of her gentle, pure and emotionally resonant voice, she has carved out a unique place for herself in the world of music,” wrote Eknath Shinde on the X handle.

“Over the last seven decades, she has satiated connoisseurs with countless immortal songs. In the Hindi film industry, many of the duets she has sung with Mohammed Rafi remain fresh in the minds of listeners even today. Songs like “Na Tum Humen Jano” and “Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche” further reinforced the magic of her voice,” he continued. He also recalled the singer’s contribution to devotional and film songs. While paying tribute to Suman, Eknath Shinde wrote, “He left an indelible mark with his singing in Marathi sentimental songs, devotional songs and film songs as well. He has sung numerous compositions not only in Marathi but also in Hindi, Gujarati and Bengali languages. In recognition of his unlimited service to music, the Government of India honored him with the ‘Padma Bhushan’ award, one of the highest honors of the country, in 2023. Civil honour. Even though he is no longer with us today, his voice will remain eternal. Time “We will move forward, generations will change, but Suman Kalyanpur’s sweet, sattvic and soul-touching voice will echo in the skies of Indian music forever…”

NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar called Suman Kalyanpur’s death “heartbreaking”. He described his death as the end of the “golden age in the world of Indian classical and light music”. Sharad Pawar wrote on his handle

Suman Kalyanpur lent her vocals to timeless classics like ‘Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche’ and ‘Naa Naa Karte Pyar Tumhin Se Kar Baithe’. Her voice was often confused with Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. He also sang two duets with Mangeshkar before embarking on a successful career as a playback singer. Suman was honored with Padma Bhushan in 2023.