Agony turns to ecstasy for Suman Kalyanpur with Padma win

“We spent the entire night feeling helpless and didn’t know where to go,” said Kalyanpur, who stood by the roadside with other members of her family, watching the firemen at work. They eventually decided to shift to a relative’s house in the city

Agony turns to ecstasy for Suman Kalyanpur with Padma win

Mumbai: Veteran singer Suman Kalyanpur, 85, spent an anxious night out of the comfort of her third floor apartment in Shivshakti building, Lokhandwala, braving the Mumbai chill. The building was on fire, which likely broke out from an unsealed electric duct, in the early hours of Wednesday, necessitating evacuation.

“We spent the entire night feeling helpless and didn’t know where to go,” said Kalyanpur, who stood by the roadside with other members of her family, watching the firemen at work. They eventually decided to shift to a relative’s house in the city.

However, her apprehension turned into jubilation as the day unfolded. The octogenarian is one of the Padma Bhushan awardees, announced by the central government on the eve of Republic Day.

Not wishing to dwell on the brief hardship she had faced just a few hours ago, Kalyanpur said, “I am very happy today. I have worked in the field of music with great devotion and sung many songs. People have appreciated my work. I feel fulfilled.” The artiste, known for songs like Aaj Kal tere Mere Pyaar from Brahmachari and Na Tum Hamen Jano from Baat Ek Raat Ki, turns 86 on January 28.

Kalyanpur lives with her daughter Charul Agny and her family. She was safely brought down by her son, who is a doctor, and daughter-in-law. The couple lives in the same building. The family will live with the relative till power and gas supplies to Shivshakti are restored.

It will take nearly 15 to 20 days to have the facilities in the apartments up and running.