“रहें ना रहें हम, महका करेंगे
बन के कली, बन के सबा, बाग़े वफ़ा में”
Remembering Suman Kalyanpur takes me to the time when I was watching Baat Ek Raat Ki in Bharat Talkies in Bhopal. It was a matinee show and an old movie, so not too many people were in the Theatre. The image of Waheeda Rehman looking into an aquarium and singing “Na tum Hamen Jaano” left an indelible impression on me.
Like many, I assumed that the singer was Lata Mangeshkar. Much later, as I started collecting old movie songs, I realized that the sweet voice behind Waheeda belonged to Suman Kalyanpur. It remains to this day one of my favorite songs.
Suman Hemmady was born in Dhaka in 1937 into a Saraswat Brahmin family originally from Udupi. Her family moved to Mumbai where she trained in classical music under Pandit Keshav Rao Bhole, Ustad Abdul Rehman Khan and Master Navrang. Her singing career started early in 1954 when she was still a teenager. She married Ramanand Kalyanpur in 1958 and is now known by her married name.
She sang for veteran music directors O P Nayyar and Naushad even as a newcomer. Her debut song in Hindi at the age of 17 was “koi pukare dheere se” in the movie Mangu for which O P Nayyar was the music director. After a few years singing for side heroines and comediennes, she got her big break in “Hum Bhi Insaan Hain” (1959) where she sang a beautiful duet with Geeta Dutt “Phulwa Ban Mehke“.
Baat Ek Raat Ki was the turning point in her career, with the aforementioned “Na Tum Hamen Jaano” picturized on Waheeda Rehman. She went on to sing many memorable songs in movies like “Dil Hi To Hai”, “Raj Kumar”, “Shagoon”, “Sanjh Aur Savera”, “Gazal”, “Brahmachari”, “Mamta” and many more.
The best way of remembering Suman Kalyanpur is through her songs. Here are my favorite Suman Kalyanpur songs –
1. “Na Tum Hamen Jaano” – “Baat Ek Raat Ki” (1962)
Credits
- Composer: S D Burman
- Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri
- Singer: Suman Kalyanpur
Soulful song that launched her into stardom. Her gentle voice is a perfect complement to the tandem sung by Hemant Kumar. Here she expresses the complex emotions of Waheeda’s character in the movie in what sounds like a soft whisper.
2. “Chura Le Na Tumko Yeh Mausam Suhana” – “Dil Hi To Hai” (1963)
Credits
- Composer: Roshan
- Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi
- Singers: Suman Kalyanpur, Mukesh
Beautiful duet with Mukesh, with great music by Roshan and tender romantic lyrics by Sahir.
3. “Tumne Pukara Aur Hum Chale Aaye” – “Rajkumar” (1964)
Credits
- Composers: Shanker Jaikishen
- Lyricist: Hasrat Jaipuri
- Singers: Suman Kalyanpur, Mohammed Rafi
Shanker Jaikishen, Hasrat Jaipuri, Mohammed Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur – the perfect combination. With Shammi Kapoor and Sadhana on screen, this song remains an audience favorite to this day.
4. “Parbaton Ke Pedon Par” – “Shagoon” (1964)
Credits
- Composer: Khayyam
- Lyricist: Sahir Ludhianvi
- Singers: Suman Kalyanpur, Mohammed Rafi
Someone on the Sahir Ludhianvi Genius Global Research Council group on Facebook has said that this song is a painting with words. Khayyam’s music and the picturization in the movie certainly enhance this feeling. The future Mr and Mrs. Rekhi (Kamaljeet and Waheeda Rehman) play the on-screen couple for this song. Perfect song to remember Suman Kalyanpur by.
5. “Ajahu Na Aaye Balama” – “Saanjh Aur Sawera (1964)
Credits
- Composers: Shanker Jaikishen
- Lyricist: Hasrat Jaipuri
- Singers: Suman Kalyanpur, Mohammed Rafi
Beautiful semi-classical song sung by Mohammed Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur depicting the longing of the Nayika for her beloved as the monsoon season is passing by. This was Guru Dutt’s last movie.
6. “Rahe Na Rahe Hum” – “Mamta” (1966)
Credits
- Composer: Roshan
- Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri
- Singers: Suman Kalyanpur & Mohammed Rafi (there’s also a solo version sung by Lata Mangeshkar)
Another beautiful romantic song created by Roshan, with great lyrics by Majrooh and sung memorably by Suman ji and Rafi (and by Lata in the solo version).
“Rahe Na Rahe Hum, Mehaka Karenge, Ban ke Kali, Ban Ke Saba, Baag-e-wafa mein!”Sounds like a promise that all of these artists are making to us, as this beautiful melody remain as their legacy for us music lovers.
7. “Aaj Kal Tere Mere Pyar Ke Charche” – “Brahmachari (1968)
Credits
- Composers: Shanker Jaikishen
- Lyricist: Shailendra
- Singers: Suman Kalyanpur & Mohammed Rafi
What a song! Only Shammi Kapoor and Mumtaz could keep up with the tempo of the song. Suman ji gives a full-throated expression of the devil-may-care attitude expressed in the song.
8. “Aap Se Humko Bichde Hue” – “Vishwas” (1969)
Credits
- Composers: Kalyanji Anandji
- Lyricist: Gulshan Bawra
- Singers: Suman Kalyanpur & Manhar Udhas
Another melodious duet with Mukesh. In this song Suman ji matches Mukesh in tone, tenor and emotion perfectly.
9. “Kabhi Honthon Se Mujhe Bhi Laga Le” – “Geet” (1971)
Credits
- Composers: Kalyanji Anandji
- Lyricist: Prem Dhawan
- Singer: Suman Kalyanpur
A sweet song performed by Mala Sinha on stage in the movie. The way she expresses the love that Radha feels for Krishna in this song shows Sumanji’s ability to deliver sensuality in a dignified way.
10. “Chhod Ke Main Saari Duniya” – “Thokar” (1974)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_TFeWFdxuo&list=RD0_TFeWFdxuo&start_radio=1
Credits
- Composers: Shamji Ghanshamji
- Lyricist: Sajan Dehlvi
- Singers: Suman Kalyanpur
A nice melody to showcase Sumanji’s versatility. She has often been compared with Lata Mangeshkar, but in this song, you can see shades of Asha Bhosle, with her flirtatious mischievous singing.
We remember Suman Kalyanpur as a voice that was a quiet constant in Hindi film music, from the golden era to the nineties — present across countless films, lending warmth and sincerity to every song she sang. She may not always have received the recognition her talent deserved, but her recordings have endured, and those who know her work know what they have and what they’ll cherish. That is perhaps tribute enough.
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