Suman Kalyanpur - The Versatile Nightingale of India ©RohitSinghNegi

The Nightingale of Many Tongues

Suman Kalyanpur’s Multilingual Musical Magic.

Original Post

Suman Kalyanpur—born Suman Hemmadi on 28 January 1937 in Dhaka (then British India)—is remembered as one of the most enchanting voices of Indian cinema’s golden age. The eldest of six children in a cultured Saraswat Brahmin family from Udupi, her family moved to Mumbai in 1943, where her gift for music flourished under the city’s rich cultural atmosphere.

Her playback journey began in 1954 with the poignant number Koi Pukare Dheere Se Tujhe in the film Mangu. That same year, she made her Hindi film debut with Darwaza, establishing her entry into the world of playback singing. What followed was a career spanning over three decades, where she rendered songs in a variety of Indian languages—Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Odia, and more.

Suman’s voice, ethereal and silken, was often compared to Lata Mangeshkar’s, yet she retained her own distinct identity with unmatched elegance. Her most iconic contribution remains her song Na na karte pyar tumhi se kar baithe, a timeless melody that captures the moment of romance, fun & frolick.

Her repertoire sparkled with many unforgettable gems:

▶️Na Na Karte Pyar Tumhi Se Kar Baithe(Jab Jab Phool Khile, 1965)

▶️Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye (Rajkumar, 1964)

▶️Dil Ek Mandir Hai(Dil Ek Mandir, 1963)

▶️ Tumhe dil Diya hai ( Chand aur Suraj -1965)

▶️ Devotional :-

Marathi

• Naam Aahe Aadi Anti

• Kuni Nindave Va Vandave

• Nimbonichya Zadamaage

• Saan Kadhi

Punjabi

• Mundaya Ve Mundaya

Hindi

• Hey Jag Paalak, Srishti Ke Maalik (Kaala Aadmi, 1978)

• Meri Dunia Badal Gayi Aaj Re (Maha Sati Savitri, 1973)

Suman Kalyanpur’s artistry lay in her ability to blend purity with emotion, elevating every song into an everlasting experience. Though her voice was often mistaken for another great, she remains a jewel in her own right, treasured for the sweetness, dignity, and timeless magic she brought to Indian music.

Awards & Honours of Suman Kalyanpur

▶️ Sur Shringar Samsad Award (three times) – for Best Classical Song in a Hindi Movie

▶️ Madhya Pradesh Government’s National Lata Mangeshkar Samman– awarded in 2017

▶️Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of Maharashtra) – awarded in 2009

▶️Ga Di Ma Award (by Ga Di Ma Pratishthan) 

Mirchi Music Lifetime Achievement Award – awarded in 2022

▶️MaTaa Sanman Puraskar (Maharashtra Times Maharashtra Bhushan MaTaa Sanmaan) – awarded in 2024.

🇮🇳 Padma Bhushan (Government of India) – conferred on 26 January 2023

▶️Filmfare Award – Best Female Playback Singer – nominated in 1975 for the song Behena Ne Bhai Ki Kalai Main from Resham Ki Dori (1974)

© Rohit Singh Negi