Only Suresh Wadkar Attends Suman Kalyanpur’s Final Rites as Film, Music Industry Largely Stays Away
MUMBAI — Veteran playback singer Suman Kalyanpur was cremated with full state honors Monday at the Pawan Hans crematorium in Mumbai, but the music and film industry largely stayed away from her final farewell.
Playback singer Suresh Wadkar was the only prominent industry figure to attend and pay his final respects. Kalyanpur is survived by her daughter, Charu.
Her mortal remains were draped in the Indian tricolor as she was accorded full state honors. Kalyanpur reportedly died Sunday at her residence in Lokhandwala due to age-related causes.
Born Jan. 28, 1937, Kalyanpur was among the most respected playback singers in Indian cinema. She rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s and recorded songs in Hindi, Marathi and several other Indian languages.
She worked with leading composers including Shankar-Jaikishan, O.P. Nayyar and Kalyanji-Anandji. Her duets with Mohammed Rafi became especially popular and remain cherished by fans of classic Indian film music.
Kalyanpur’s career gained momentum after the fallout between Lata Mangeshkar and Rafi, two of the leading voices of the era. Her voice was often praised for its sweetness, clarity and emotional depth.
Although she worked during the golden age of playback singing alongside several legendary contemporaries, Kalyanpur carved out a distinct identity through her versatility and refined singing style.
She recorded songs in Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Kannada and Bengali, and also sang devotional songs and ghazals. Her work continues to be celebrated by admirers of Indian film music. (Source: IANS)
