Suman Kalyanpur, one of the most popular playback singers of Hindi cinema passed away on 31st May. I was preoccupied with other commitments, but wasn’t at ease without at least a small tribute post, which I published on that very day.
In the comments section of that post, a reader and fellow blogger, Anitaji, added a beautiful non-film Hindi song by Suman Kalyanpur. For me, her non-film songs were a completely unexplored territory of her career. I immediately thought of a post dedicated to her non-film Hindi songs and I expressed this in my reply to her comment. So I thank her for instilling the idea.
Suman Kalyanpur’s Marathi non-film songs (भावगीते व भक्तिगीते) are still extremely popular in Marathi households. But in contrast her other nonfilm songs are not very popular. So it was almost a challenge for me to do it.
I must add that even her Marathi biography, सुमन सुगंध by Mangala Khadilkar does not give a comprehensive list of her non-film Hindi songs. It otherwise has a detailed list of her Hindi film songs and film & non-film songs in Marathi. But it did mention a few of her non-film Hindi songs in one of the chapters.
What I could get on YouTube was however adequate, though not a complete coverage of her non-film Hindi songs. There were mainly ghazals, devotional songs, and a few other songs including a couple of thumris. I’ve tried selecting a few of her representative songs, though the list obviously reflects my choice among the available songs.
Let’s start the journey, which I found very exciting as I heard almost all the songs for the first time. A few appealed instantly, a few took me several listens.
To start the list, let me add a few of her ghazals, which were mostly recorded in the 70s. There were around 10 ghazals by renowned shayars and poets Kaif Akrami, Akhtar Romani, Shadaab, Siraj Aaghazi, Aish Kanwal etc, which were set to tune by Yunus Malik. The album was called Kasak (1977).
The other album with ghazals by Mirza Ghalib was composed by Iqbal Gill alias Chhota Iqbal. It was called Kalam e Ghalib (1971). Any information about the album and the contributors is most welcome.
For Hindi films, I couldn’t recollect any prominent of her ghazals offhand. Perhaps she didn’t get opportunities to sing many ghazals for Hindi films. And when she sang them, she proved beyond doubt that she’s an all-rounder.
1. Kuchh Is Ada Se Kisi Ne – Suman Kalyanpur (1969) / Iqbal Gill – Saba Afghani
According to the available information, this was recorded as a standalone ghazal and wasn’t a part of an album. I was completely lost in the ghazal when I heard it for the first time. What a soulful ghazal! A typical ghazal styled orchestration and rendition. Tabla, sitar all in their perfect place. I’m not an expert, but I think there’s use of sitar instead of sarangi in the ghazal throughout. And this is the perfect example of her delicate yet powerful voice. It’s calm, delicate, yet full throat and expressive.
2. Koi Ummeed Bar Nahi Aati – Kalam e Ghalib (1971) Suman Kalyanpur / Iqbal Gill – Mirza Ghalib
This is one of the popular ghazals by Ghalib which is sung by a number of singers. I must add that I haven’t heard other renditions at all. The despair and agony is well reflected in Suman Kalyanpur’s soulful rendition which is well woven in a typical ghazal styled tune by the composer.
3. Ek Aag Si Woh Dil Mein – Kasak (1977) Suman Kalyanpur / Yunus Malik – Shadaab
The song portrays longing for beloved, unfulfilled desires and the persistence of memories after he left. There’s a sense of being deeply affected by a departed loved one, with an ‘inner fire’ left behind. The words by Shadaab find their perfect expression in Suman Kalyanpur’s excellent rendition. She’s so effortless even in high notes. The ghazal follows a conventional path of orchestration with the use of sarangi, sitar and tabla. It’s a pity these songs were never popular with the masses.
4. Koi Din Gar Zindgani Aur Hai – Kalam e Ghalib (1971) Suman Kalyanpur / Iqbal Gill – Mirza Ghalib
Yet another soulful rendition of Ghalib”s ghazal. This ghazal as well depicts the pain, agony and failure in love, which is aptly highlighted by Suman Kalyanpur. The only obstacle in enjoying these ghazals is the use of heavy Urdu words which need to be deciphered to get the meaning.
5. Man Se Man Ko Raah Hoti Hai – Kasak (1977) Suman Kalyanpur / Yunus Malik – Akhtar Romani
This is not exactly a ghazal as per literary techniques, but a song. It’s a romantic song portraying love for the beloved. The tune is attractive with catchy orchestration. Suman Kalyanpur’s energetic and joyous rendition adds a charm to the otherwise simple song.
6. Chhai Ghata Ghanghor – a Thumri by Suman Kalyanpur / Composed & written By Khan Saheb Abdul Rehman Khan
Suman Kalyanpur never got to sing this semi classical vocal form for a Hindi film. Her couple of thumris were released, one of each side of a record. Thumri is more about expressions and lyrics, somewhat less bound by the boundaries of Raaga. This one portrays longing for a lover in monsoon when peacocks appear on the door.
A composer called Shyam Sharma collaborated with Suman Kalyanpur to release an album, Swar Bahar (1970)). The album had Meerabai bhajans along with songs by renowned lyricists, Anjaan and Yogesh. As I said, I heard almost all the songs for the first time.
7. Kitni Baar Mile Tum Mujhse – Swar Bahar (1970) Suman Kalyanpur / Shyam Sharma – Yogesh
A sweet melodious song with a little slow pace, sung with apt expressions by Suman Kalyanpur. The lyrics and the tune are good too. The song instantly captured my attention.
8. Chhod Mat Jaiyo Jee Maharaj – Swar Bahar (1970) Suman Kalyanpur / Shyam Sharma – Meerabai
A beautiful Meera bhajan, which is perhaps not very popular. Wonderful rendition! The album had a couple of Meerabai bhajans and I was torn between the two. The other one had a close resemblance with Nainon Mein Badra Chhaye from Mera Saaya. Perhaps it’s based on the same raag, Nand.
9. Saari Saari Raina Jage Naina – Swar Bahar (1970) Suman Kalyanpur / Shyam Sharma – Anjaan
Though the song appears to portray longing for the beloved, it’s not a sorrowful one. She’s singing joyously and her tone suggests that she’s confident about his coming to her. The orchestration also supports the playfulness and is pleasant to listen to.
10. Jogi Mat Ja – Bhanjan Manjusha (1985) Suman Kalyanpur / Kripashankar Tiwari – Meerabai
The album featured different artists and this soulful bhajan was her sole contribution to it. Nevertheless, for me it’s one of her best renditions of Meera bhajans. The feelings of devotion and total dedication are so well sung! It’s near to divinity.
I could have missed a few of her well known non-film Hindi songs. Please complete the list by adding those in your comments.
Disclaimer –
Mehfil Mein Meri, claims no credit for any image, screenshots or songs posted on this site. Images on this blog are posted to make the text interesting. The images and screenshots are the copyright of their original owners. The song links are shared from YouTube, only for the listening convenience of music lovers. The copyright of these songs rests with the respective owners, producers and music companies.
