Daily Times

It was 1964 when I went to Bombay with Mushtaq Hashimi, my friend and singing partner. We stayed at Khayyam’s house who was a music composer of Bombay film industry. Khayyam is elder brother of Mushtaq Hashimi. Since we were fond of watching Indian films, we went to watch recently released film ‘Shagun’ starring Waheeda Rehman and Kamaljeet supported by Chand Usmani, Neena Achla, Nivedita. Apart from Jagjit Kaur’s ‘Tum Apna Ranj-o-Ghum Apni Pareshani Mujhe Dei Do’, we enjoyed three beautiful songs by Suman Kalyanpur in this picture; two solos and a duet with Muhammad Rafi, ‘Parbaton Kei Pairon Par Shaam Ka Basera Hei’. It was a beautiful melody set in Raag Pahari and filmed in Nainitaal.

The other two were sad solos ‘Bujha Diye Hain Khud Apne Haathon Muhabbaton Kei Diye Jala Kei’ and ‘Zindigi Zulm Sahi, Jabr Sahi, Ghum Hi Sahi’. In both these songs, Sarangi created a sad impression. Through these three songs, we were introduced to Suman’s singing prowess much credit went to the music composer how he molded her voice for these immortal melodies. We brought two 78 speed records and gifted these to Radio Pakistan, Lahore. Since it was before 1965-war time, these songs became popular overnight and were played repeatedly in the Request Programmes every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:45 PM to 9:15 PM. Many mistook Suman’s voice for Lata Mangeshkar’s, who was at the peak of her career at that time. I lived in Shahalmi Gate. Lahore. It used to be all silent at night and the songs played on Radio could be listened and appreciated by the dwellers. Another movie ‘Muhabbat Isko Kehtey Hein’ gave ‘Theheriye Hosh Mein Aa Loon To Chaley Jaiye Ga’, a Rafi-Suman duet and Suman’s ‘Jo Hum Peh Guzarti Hei’, both emitting pathos. This movie was starring Shashi Kapoor, Nanda in lead roles supported by Anwar Hussan, Helen, Leela Chitnis, Ramesh Deo, Madan Puri. Music is given by Khayyam. Another song that became quite popular was ‘Mere Mehboob Na Ja, Aaj Ki Raat Na Ja’ (Noor Mahal). It is an amazing sweet composition with the honey sweet voice of Suman Kalyanpur. Music is composed by Jaani Babu Qawwal. Surprisingly, despite the fact that this song was filmed on some B Grade actors; it was a hit.

These songs raised the singing status of Suman despite supremacy of Mangeshkar sisters. She is more known as a devotional and romantic singer that she has perhaps given more than most who flirt with false sentiment as can be assessed from the songs I have mentioned above. She sustains her music with all the dynamism and grace of a felt emotion. It moves her listeners by the very texture of its line. It is because of such melodies that Nohan Nandkarni writing as Gurudev Shran observes that, “in a world of cut throat competition like that of the cinema, where the celebrities of yesterday are spurned as mediocrities today and forgotten as non-entitles tomorrow, Suman Kalyanpur has remained among the three top-notches in Hindi play-back singing. Comparisons are odious, even invidious. But the undeniable fact is that unlike the phenomenal Mangeshkars, Suman Kalyanpur was not born into music. Nor did she grow in an environment suffused with sound and rhythm”.

Suman Kalyanpur’s original name is Suman Hemadey. She was born on January 28, 1937 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, (which was then a part of India under British Rule). Her family name was Hemmady. In 1943, her family moved to Bombay where she started receiving musical training. In due course, she married a Mumbai based businessman Ramanand S. Kalyanpur in 1958. He accompanied her for every recording session after her marriage. She has a daughter named Charul Agni who is settled in the United States after marriage.

Till the age of 15, Suman was more interested in painting and other hobbies such as flower arrangements, embroidery etc. That is the reason why after finishing studies at St. Columba High School, she joined the Sir J.J. School of Arts to pursue her studies in the faculty of fine art. While studying art, she took part in school’s extra-curricular activities also. Her interest in other hobbies did not make her peruse music seriously but she emulated Nurjehan’s songs or any other song she liked to sing in school functions or family get-togethers. On one such occasion, Keshavrao Bhole, the eminent music director of the Prabhat Film Company and a pioneer in modern Marathi music, heard her sing. He was then on the staff of AIR Bombay as music producer and was a neighbour. He approached Suman’s parents for him to provide tutelage to Suman in voice training and intricacies of singing. She had not been to a cinema till she was adult, mentioned Suman in one of her interviews.

Suman’s entry in films:

At a cultural programme sponsored by the staff and students of her school, Suman was among the participants. There were many other youngsters who participated. She was 17, shy and hesitant. Among the audience sat famous singer Talat Mahmud and music composer Muhammad Shafi. The former asked Shafi Saheb to give a chance to Suman Kalyanpur. Highly impressed, Talat Mahmud also recommended her to the music recording company, HMV where he used to record his ghazals. Muhammad Shafi, also assistant to famous music maestro Naushad Ali seemed to be so deeply impressed with Suman’s debut that he offered her, there and then, a contract as a playback singer for the film ‘Mangoo’ (1954). Thus, Suman’s provided her first playback song ‘Koi Puk?re Dheere Se Tujhe’ for the movie. Sheikh Mukhtar, the actor-producer was so impressed with her ‘Shukrachi Chandni’ songs, that he got her to sing 3 songs for the film ‘Mangu’. However, due to some unknown reasons, Muhammad Shafi was replaced with OP Nayyar and only one of her 3 songs, a lullaby ‘Koi Pukaare Dheere Se Tujhe’, was retained in the film. It has been reported that Lata Mangeshkar never forgave Talat Mahmud for this move and started opposing him by not singing duets with him and also asked music directors not to book him. Suman’s entry into disc singing was in 1955, when HMV (His Master’s Voice) signed her for recording two Marathi devotions, ‘Savalya Vithala Tuzya Dari Aale’ and ‘Nanda Ghari Nandanvan phulale’. The two songs set to music by Dashrarath Pujari, the eminent Marathi composer, were and are still rated by connoisseurs and critics among all-time devotional hits.

Training:

Suman reported in one of her interviews that she received valuable guidance from Yeshwant Deo. He taught her the subtleties of Marathi lyrical music. Sudhir Phadke taught her the molding of songs and embellishments like ‘khatkas’ and ‘murkies’. Then Master Navrang and Abdul Rahman Khan gave her good grounding in light classical music. The period of guidance from these masters was brief as it varied from three to six months only. She never opted for singing classical music except once when she sang two thumris on behest of Abdul Rehman Khan for HMV. I recall her song ‘Mere Sang Ga Gunguna’ from the film ‘Jaanwar’ in 1965 filmed on Rajshree’s classical dance and ‘Aj Huna Aei Balma Sawan Beeta Jaye’ (with Muhammad Rafi from the film ‘Sanjh Aur Savera’ filmed on Mahmud and Shobha Khote in a comedy sequence) which are classical based songs. Both these songs were set to music by Shankar Jaikishen. Then melodious music composer Madan Mohan used Suman with Rafi Saheb for his film ‘Jahan Ara’ (1964) in a poetry recitation style; ‘Ba’ad Muddat Kei Woh Ghari Aai’. It is a beautiful melody. One cannot sing such melodies without proper training.

Many mistook Suman’s voice for Lata Mangeshkar’s, who was at the peak of her career at that time

Suman Kalyanpur provided playback singing for Mian Bivi Raazi (1960), Baat Aik Raat Ki (1962), Dil Aik Mandir (1963), Dil Hi To Hai (1963), Shagoon (1964), Jahan Ara (1964), Saanjh Aur Sawer? (1964), Noor Jahan (1967), Saathi (1968) and Pakeez?h (1971). She sang for composers Shankar Jaikishan, Roshan, Madan Mohan, S. D. Burman, Hemant Kumar, Chitragupta, Naushad, SN Tripathi, Khayyam, Lakshmilal Pyarelal and Ghulam Mohammed, singing the most songs for the first two in the list. She has sung over 740 movie and non-movie songs.

Being equated with Lata for similarity of voice by critics and Suman humming Lata’s songs in her formative years (Lata sometimes feeling threatened), Suman’s choice of singers is Nurjehan and Bare Ghulam Ali Khan. She also likes the popular Marathi artiste. Jyostna Bhole, for her bhavgeet and bhaktigeets. In the West she likes country music of Jim Reeves and Connie Francis. She feels commonality among their singing with any of her country’s songs.

Regarding critics’ opinion that her career suffered because of similarity of her voice with Lata, she avoids talking on the issue as she believes that it is a keen vision, deep understanding and a rare sense of design; all of which give her music a distinctive stamp of individuality.

To a question about what sort of music she liked, Suman replied in an interview ‘If is that of an ardent, humble votary. Popular music, to uncompromising purists, may sound a cheap and hybrid form of expression orthodox musicians may find it ticklish, too. Happily, times have changed and even die hard classicists now concede that singing light music, too, is an art. I for one feel that light music is quite a serious business. Its essence lies in the portrayal of a poetic idea with a musical imagination. The technique involved is distinct and difficult. All this calls for some sort of preparation. And that is why I put in rehearsals to be able to understand and interpret the feeling in the poetic theme and the idea of the composer who sets it to tune’. Suman adopts a serious approach towards light music and it makes some sense. I can vouch for the fact when I turned my energies towards learning and singing classical music in the mid-half of my singing career, I remember intellectual Ashfaq Ahmad warning me that knowing the intricacies of classical music is a good idea as it shall help me more in refining my light music but I would have to take extra precaution that the sweetness and tunefulness in my voice was not lost.

Tours:

Suman has undertaken many tours abroad where her approach is for a foreigner to see as many facets of our rich and varied culture as possible. She is also the first Indian playback artiste to appear on foreign TV. She is the first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (named after the Father of the Indian cinema) as the Best Playback Singer in 1961. The same year she also received a gold medal from the Governor of Maharashtra on the occasion of the first anniversary of the State. The State Government awards for the best playback artiste went to her 1965 and 1966. She also won the Sur Singer Samsad’s Best Singer Award in 1966 and 1970. He memorable tours have been in 1969 which lasted two months. It was confined to the West Indies and America.

Published in Daily Times, March 12^th 2018.