Suman Kalyanpur: Whose Voice is remarkable for its purity and also always touches high level of expressiveness

Suman Kalyanpur: Whose Voice is remarkable for its purity and also always touches high level of expressiveness

Very recently, I was listening duet song ‘Yeh Mausum Rangeen Sama’ from the film Modern Girl which was made in 1961 and its music was composed by Ravi and written by Gulshan Bawara. Even though this is the duet song, I felt that female voice of this song was so impressive and has confidently created the mood of sentiment of love. Similarly, such confidence of female voice can also be listened in the flirty song ‘Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche‘ from film Brahmachari made in 1968 whose music was composed by Shankar Jaikisan and lyric penned by Hasrat Jaipuri.  I can quote one more example of same female voice for duet song and that song is ‘Na, Na Karate Pyar’ from the film Jab Jab Phool Khile made in 1965 and music of this film was composed by Kalyanji Anandji and lyrics penned by Anand Bakshi. In this song, Female voice has expressed bright and innocent love with the causal involvement and without any commitment. At the time of singing the duet songs, the voice of this female is remarkable for its purity and always touches high level of expressiveness. She is no one else but Suman Kalyanpur who is having mellifluous or sweet-sounding voice which is similar to Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar. She sung ‘Yeh Mausum Rangeen Sama’ with Co-singer Mukesh and other two songs she sung with Mohammed Rafi.

From Yogesh Gogwekar

Suman Kalyanpur was born on 28th January 1938 in Dhaka, Bangladesh as Suman Hemmady in the orthodox Saraswat Brahmin family to Shankar Rao Hemmady and Seeta Hemmady. She was eldest among her four sisters and one brother. Originally, this family was from Mangalore, Karnataka but shifted to Mumbai in 1943 when Suman Tai was 5 years old. She did her schooling in St. Columbia High School in Mumbai. From the childhood, she was more interested in painting and music. Therefore, she decided to pursue her further studies in painting and joined J. J. School of Arts, but she has to give up her education about painting as she developed allergy to paints.

During her education in painting, she started learning the music from classical vocalist Pandit Keshav Rao Bhole. Later on she started getting training from Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan and Guruji Navrang. Besides Keshavrao Bhole, she also received valuable training of light music from Marathi music director Yeshwant Deo. He taught her subtleties of Marathi lyrical music. She learnt moulding of songs and embellishments like Khatkas and Murkies from eminent music composer and singer Sudhir Phadake.  Other than Music and Painting, she has developed her liking in embroidery, flower arrangement and gardening.  In 1958, she married with Ramanand Kalyanpur who was an entrepreneur from Mumbai. Couple has been blessed with baby named as Charu Agni who settled in USA. Aaishanni Agny, her granddaughter returned back to India and running NGO in the name of Suman Kalyanpur.

Even though her family allowed her to learn music, she was not allowed to do any public performances still she said yes to the offer received to sing All India Radio in 1952. After seeing her performance of All India Radio, she got an opportunity to sing for the Marathi film Shukrachi Chandani which was released in 1953 under the music composer Yeshwant Deo. After her performances in Marathi film Shukrachi Chandani, Sheikh Mukhtar offered her to do the playback singing for his next Hindi film Mangu under the musical director Mohammed Shafi and three songs had been recorded for this film in her voice. 

Due to some unknown reasons, music director for the film Mangu had been replaced by O P Nayyar who rejected all her songs and retained only one song ‘Koi Pukaare Dheere Se Tujhe’ of Suman Kalyanpur. Even though, she entered the film music from film Mangu, her real breakthrough in film career came from Shahid Latif’s film Darwaza whose music was composed by Naushad. Duet song ‘Ek Dil Do Hain Talabgar’ which she sung with co-singer Talat Mahmood in this film became very much popular. She felt very bad when her recorded songs were rejected by O P Nayyar for film Mangu and  very much upset when O P Nayyar used her voice as a chorus singer in the song ‘Mohabbat Kar Lo Ji Bhar Lo Aji Kisne Roka Hai’ with Mohammed Rafi and Geeta Dutt for the film Aar Par. Later on, in her film career , Suman Kalyanpur sung for all music directors like Shankar Jaikishan, Roshan, Madan Mohan, S. D. Burman, N Datta, Hemant Kumar, Chitragupta, Naushad, S. N. Tripathi, Ghulam Mohammed, Kalyanji Anandji and Laxmikant–Pyarelal but never sung  for  O P Nayyar. In this case, Music lovers have to note that Lata Mangeshkar has also never sung any song for O P Nayyar.

Suman Kalyanpur has not only wide-ranging or very tuneful and transparent voice but her voice also expresses all non-gaudy tonal colours with all kind of shades. So that she can explore all types of emotional spectrum. For this purpose, one can listen to her love songs like ‘Na Tum Hume Jano’  from film Baat Ek Raat Ki and ‘Yuhi Dil Ne Chaha Tha’ from film Dil HI to Hai where she is able to express the emotion in a theatrical manner. She has a capacity to adjust with a slower tempo when song is moving in a fast space. Her capacity to sing the different types of love songs by expressing the excitement of love in the songs without any spare orchestration is amazing.  One can check this in the song ‘Mere Mehboob Ha Na from film Noor Mahal. Thus, it shows that she is having a well understanding of music. She is able to sing the songs very effortlessly because of her perfection in the pronunciation of words and capacity of rising and bringing down the voice at the time of singing.

Suman Kalyanpur has sung more than 850 Hindi film songs. Other than songs mentioned above  ‘ I always like to listen her some songs like Saathi Mere Saathi ( Veerana) , Chhodo, Chhodo Mori Baiyann (Miya Bibi Razi), Mere Sangh Ga (Janwar), Zindagi Imtehan Leti hai (Naseeb), Behena Ne Bhai Ki Kalai Main (Resham Ki Dori), Tumse  O Haseena (Farz), Dil Ne Phir Yad Kiya (Dil Ne Phir Yad Kiya), Mera Pyar Bhi Tu Hai (Saathi), Tuze Pyar Karate Hain , Karate Rahenge and Keh do Keh Do and Jahan Se Keh  Do ( April Fool), Tum Ne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye (Rajkumar)  and Zindagi Doob Gai Dard Ke Toofanno Mein ( Ek Sal Pahle).

Suman Kalyanpur sang her duet songs with Mohamed Rafi, Mukesh, Manna De, Talat Mahmood, and Hemant Kumar. She has sung maximum songs i.e. 140 songs with Mohamed Rafi. About Mohammed Rafi, she said that Rafi Saab was affectionate and co-operative. He never tried to overshadow me though he possessed a vast range as a playback singer. Singing with Rafi Saab was always an experience to cherish. She was very much close to Manna De who was a jovial. She has also sung with Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar. When she was asked about her voice similar to Nightingale Lata Mangeshkar, she said that both of us must have gone to Goddess Saraswati who has given us blessing due to this our date of birth is same only month and year differs. Refer her song with Lata Mangeshkar Kabhi Aaj Kabhi Kal from film Chand whose music is composed by Hemant Kumar. Once talking about herself, she said that Humein Suron Mein acting karni Padhti hai.

Besides Hindi films, she has sung for local language films in Marathi, Bengali, Asami, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Maithili and Punjabi. I heard her two or three Bengali Songs and also enjoyed a lot. These songs are very amazing to listen. They are Aakash Ajana Tobu, Aamar Swapno Dekhar Duti Nayon, Mone Karo Aami Nei and Byatha Hoye Keno Phire Ele Bondhua. There are no words to express her songs in Marathi.  Her two devotional songs ‘Savalya Vithala Tuzya Dari Aale and ‘Nanda Ghari Nandanvan Phulale’ were so amazing as these songs composed by Dasharath Pujari in Marathi.  Her other Marathi songs are Shabda, Shabda Japun Theva, Rimjjim Jharati Shravan Dhara, Keshava Madhava Tuzya Namat Godava, Omkar Pradhan Roop Ganeshache, Jithe Sagara Dharanee Milate , Navika Re Vara Vahe Re,  Sang Kadhi Kalnar Tula Bhav Majhya Mamat La , Ketkichya Bani Tethe Nachala Ga Mor and Nimbonichya Zada Mage. All these songs will remain in our memory forever.

She has never given her performances about classical music except once when she sang two Thumaris for HMV under music composition Abdul Rehman Khan. She started her career in 1953 and became very much popular in 1960s and 1970s. She lived with conservative joint family and never attended any filmy parties and did any stage shows and even not given any interviews to the media. She has never won any Filmfare awards (nominated for Behena Ne Bhai Ki Kalai Main for film Resham Ki Dori). Once she was asked her approach towards the music, she said that all music including light music is a serious business. Light music is also an art. Its essence lies in the portrayal of a poetic idea with a musical imagination. The technique involved is distinct and difficult.

It is true that her songs always give us more pleasure to music lovers. Her efforts are also great. It is very sad that she stopped singing for Hindi films after 1981. She is romantic and devotional singer and sustains her music with energetic excitement and all her songs give keen vision and deep understanding.

Thank you

Mumbai

06/02/2021