Suman Kalyanpur

Suman Kalyanpur(born asSuman Hemmadi; 28 January 1937) is an Indian playback singer who is most notable for her work inHindi cinema. She recorded songs for movies in several languages besidesHindi,Bengali,Marathi,Assamese,Gujarati,Kannada,Angika,Bhojpuri,Rajasthani,OdiaandPunjabi.
Her voice has often been mistaken to be that ofLata Mangeshkardue to their similar tone and texture.Suman Kalyanpur's career started in 1954 and she went onto become a popular singer in the 1960s and 1970s.
Suman Kalyanpur was born as Suman Hemmadi on 28 January 1937 inDhaka(now inBangladesh). Suman Kalyanpur's father Shankar Rao Hemmadi hailed from a Saraswat Brahmin family belonging toMangalore. Hemmadi is a village inKundapur TalukofUdupi District,Karnataka. He served on a top post in the Central Bank of India and was posted toDhakafor a very long period. Apart from father and mother Seeta Hemmadi, there were 5 daughters and one son in the family with Suman being the eldest among her siblings. In 1943, her family moved toMumbai, where she received her musical training.
Suman had always been interested in painting and music. After completing schooling fromMumbai’s famed St. Columba High School, she got admission in the prestigious Sir J. J. School of Arts for further studies in painting. Simultaneously, she started learning classical vocal fromPune's Prabhat Films' music director and a close family friend,Pandit Keshav Rao Bhole. According to Suman, initially singing was just hobby to her but gradually her interest in music increased and she started learning it professionally from Ustad Khan, Abdul Rehman Khan and Guruji Master Navrang.Suman's younger sisterShyama Hemmadywas also a singer.
Suman Hemmady married a Mumbai-based businessman Ramanand Kalyanpur in 1958 and thus, became Suman Kalyanpur from Suman Hemmady. He accompanied her for every recording session after their marriage. She has a daughter named Charul Agny who is settled in the United States after marriage. Her grand daughter Aaishanni Agny returned to India and opened an NGO in Mumbai in her grand mother's name.
According to Suman, "Everybody at home had an inclination towards arts and music but public performances were strictly prohibited. Still, I could not say 'no' to an offer to sing for theAll India Radioin 1952. This was my first public performance after which I got a chance to sing for the Marathi filmShukrachi Chandnireleased in the year 1953. At that time, Sheikh Mukhtar was making the filmManguwhose composer was Mohammed Shafi.Sheikh Mukhtarwas so impressed with my ‘'Shukrachi Chandni'’ songs, that he got me to sing 3 songs for the film ‘Mangu’. However, due to some unknown reasons, laterO. P. Nayyarreplaced Mohammed Shafi and only one of my three songs, a lullaby "Koi Pukare Dheere Se Tujhe" was retained in the film. Thus, I entered Hindi cinema with the 1954 release "Mangu".
Immediately, after the film "‘Mangu’", Suman sang 5 songs under the baton of composerNaushadfor the filmDarwaza(1954), which was produced byIsmat Chugtaiand directed by Shahid Lateef. Since ‘'Darwaza’' released first, it is generally believed to be Suman Kalyanpur's first Hindi film. In the same year (1954), Suman sang the film version ofO.P.Nayyar’s hit ensemble song "Mohabbat Kar Lo Ji Bhar Lo Aji Kisne Roka Hai" withMohammed RafiandGeeta Duttfor the filmAar Paar. According to Suman, she had a couple of solo lines to sing and her services were used, more, as a chorus singer in this song. This proved to be the only song she ever sang forO. P. Nayyar.
Suman Kalyanpur's first film song was a duet with Talat Mahmood inDarwaza(1954).Talat Mahmoodheard Kalyanpur singing in a musical concert and was highly impressed by her singing. A rank newcomer, her career hit the big league when Talat agreed to sing the duet with her, making the film industry sit up and take notice of her.
She sang for the movie,Mangu(1954),Koi Pukare Dheere Se Tujhe. Kalyanpur provided playback singing forMiyan Bibi Razi(1960),Baat Ek Raat Ki(1962),Dil Ek Mandir(1963),Dil Hi To Hai(1963),Shagoon(1964),Jahan Ara(1964),Sanjh Aur Savera(1964),Noor Jehan(1967),Saathi(1968) andPakeezah(1971). She sang for composersShankar Jaikishan,Roshan,Madan Mohan Kohli,S. D. Burman,N Datta,Hemant Kumar,Chitragupta,Naushad, S. N. Tripathi,Ghulam Mohammed,Kalyanji Anandji,Vasant DesaiandLaxmikant–Pyarelalsinging the most songs for the first two in the list. She has sung over 740 movie and non-movie songs. She sang over 140 duets with Rafi in the 1960s.
Suman's first song inMarathiwas the super-hit "Bhaatuklichaa Khel Maandila" for Vasant Prabhu, for the filmPasant Aahe Mulgi. After that she never looked back for over 20 years. Putra Vhawa Aisaa, Ekti, Manini and Annapoorna were but a few of her memorable films. But even outside films, her hits are legion and include over 50 timeless gems of Marathi films, bhavgeet and bhaktigeet.
Kalyanpur sang with Lata Mangeshkar the duet "Kabhi Aaj, Kabhi Kal, Kabhi Parson" under the direction of composerHemant Kumar. She recorded some popular duets with male singersMohammed Rafi,Manna Dey,Mukesh,Talat Mahmood,Kishore KumarandHemant Kumar. Some of her memorable duets with Rafi are "Aajkal Tere Mere Pyaar Ke Charche", "Na Na Karte Pyaar", "Tumse O Hasina", "Rahen Na Rahen Hum", "Parbaton Ke Pedon Par Shaam Ka Basera He", "Ajahuna Aye Balama", "Tumane Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aye", "Bad Muddat Ke Yeh Ghadi Ayee", "Mujhe Yeh Bhool Na", "Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya", "Tujhko Dilbari Ki Kasam" and "Chand Takata Hai Idhar". WithManna Dey, she sang the popular duet "Na Jane Kahan Ham The" under the music direction of Dattaram. With Mukesh she has sung many popular duets like `Yeh Kisne Geet Chheda', "Akhiyon ka noor hai tu", "Mera Pyar Bhi Tu Hai", "Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya", "Shama Se Koi Kehde", etc.
Kalyanpur also recorded some memorable songs with a classical base, including "Manamohan Man Mein Ho Tumhi", "Mere Sang Ga Gunguna" and "Gir Gayi Re More Mathe Ki Bindiya".
Suman Kalyanpur's voice was very similar to the singer,Lata Mangeshkar. Many of her songs are indistinguishable from Lata's style, because she sang with a quality comparable to Lata. Kalyanpur was very uncomfortable regarding the similarity between her voice and Lata's. She had once answered "I was quite influenced by her. In my college days, I used to sing her songs. Meri aawaaz nazuk aur patli thi (My voice was delicate and thin). What could I do? Also when Radio Ceylon relayed the songs, the names were never announced. Even the records sometimes gave the wrong name. Maybe that caused more confusion."In the era of 1950s and 1960s, the period was referred as the golden era of Hindi film music where the time when female playback singing was dominated by singers likeShamshad Begumand Lata Mangeshkar.
During the similar period, Lata had refused to sing with Rafi overroyaltyissues and those songs were recorded by Kalyanpur with Rafi. She sang over 140 duets with Rafi in this period.
Zindagi zulm sahi ( shagun)