KK Biography: Krishnakumar Kunath, popularly known as KK, was an Indian playback singer. He recorded songs primarily in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Known for his versatility across a wide range of musical genres, KK is considered one of India’s greatest playback singers. He has won two Screen Awards and been nominated for six Filmfare Awards.
Profile
Date of Birth: 23 August 1968
Real Name: Krishnakumar Kunath
Nationality: Delhi, India
Died: 31 May 2022 (aged 53)
Tribe: West Bengal, Kolkata, India
Education: Kirori Mal College (University of Delhi)
Occupation: Playback singer
Years active: 1994–2022
Spouse/Wife: Jyothy Krishna (married. 1991)
Children: 2
Music Career/Genre: Indian Pop Bollywood Music
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Krishnakumar Kunath Music Career
KK began his career singing commercial jingles and made his film debut in 1996 with the song Maachis. KK released his debut album Pal in 1999. The songs “Pal” and “Yaaron” from the album became popular and were played at school graduation parties. The album marked his professional breakthrough. He received his first Filmfare Award nomination for Best Male Playback Singer for the song “Tadap Tatsup Ke” from the 1999 film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
KK established himself as one of the leading singers of the 2000s with successful songs in various languages. Some of his most popular songs include “Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe” from Dil Chahta Hai (2001), “O Humdum Suniyo Re” from Saathiya (2002), “Dola Re Dola” from Devdas (2002) and “Uyirin Uyirae” from Kaaka. Kaaka (2003), Ghilli’s “Apadi Podu” (2004), Dus’ “Dus Bahane” (2005), Woh Lamhe… (2006)’s “Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai”, Gangster’s “Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai”: A Love Story (2006), Om Shanti Om’s “Aankhon Mein Teri” (2007), Bach na Ae Haseeno’s ‘Khuda Jane’ (2008), Jannat’s ‘Zara Sa’ (2008) and Khatta Meetha’s ‘Sajde’ (2010). ), “Piya Aaye Na” from Aashiqui 2 (2013), “Mat Aazma Re” from Murder 3 (2013), “India Wale” from Happy New Year (2014), and “Tu Jo Mila” from Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015).
KK was popularly known as a “seducer” for his romantic songs. KK won the Screen Award for Best Male Singer – Non-Film Music for his song “Pal” and Best Playback Singer – Male for the song “Khuda Jaane” from the film Bachna Ae Haseeno.
Krishnakumar Kunath Early life and work
Krishnakumar Kunath was born on August 23, 1968, in Delhi to Malay parents Kunath Kanakavali and CS Menon, and grew up in New Delhi. Before his debut in Bollywood, he sang 3,500 jingles.
KK attended Mount St. Mary’s School in Delhi and Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi. He appeared in the song “Josh of India”, released to support the Indian national team during the 1999 Cricket World Cup. After graduating from Kirori Mal College with a degree in commerce.
KK worked as a marketing manager for six months before pursuing his passion for music. He struggled to establish himself in the competitive record industry and sang in hotels to make a living. KK moved to Mumbai in 1994.
All Career
KK at a concert in 2009 Sony Music was founded in India in 1999 and wanted to introduce new artists. KK was selected and released his first solo album, Pal, with music by Lesle Lewis of the duo Colonial Cousins (who also arranged and produced the album). Pal was a pop rock album. The songs “Aap Ki Dua”, “Yaaron” and the title track “Pal” were popular among the audience and on the music charts. “Pal” and “Yaaron” are often played at school farewell parties. KK won the 1999 Screen Award for Best Vocalist (Non-Film Music) for this album.
He released his next album, Humsafar, on 22 January 2008. Humsafar included the songs “Aasman Ke”, “Dekho Na”, “Yeh Kahan Mil Gaye Hum”, “Rain Bhai Kaari (Maajhi)” and the English ballad “Cineraria”. The lyrics of the title track are a mix of English and Hindi, while the eight tracks on the album were composed by KK.
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Television
He has sung many songs in television series such as “Just Mohabbat”, “Shakalaka Bum Bum”, “Kuch Juki Si Parkain”, “Hip Hip Harley”, “Kaviyanjali” and “Just Dance”. KK was a judge on the talent search show “Fame Gurukul”.
He sang “Tanha Chala” in the Pakistani TV show “The Ghost” which aired on Hum TV in 2008. The song was composed by Farooq Abid and Shoaib Farooq and the lyrics were written by Momina Duraid.
KK appeared on MTV India’s music show Coke Studio where he sang the Qawwali song “Chadda Sooraj” with Sabri Brothers and reprised Jhankar Beats’ “Tu Aashiqui Hai”. He appeared in Surili Baat on the Aaj Tak channel. KK appeared on Sony Mix and MTV Unplugged, which aired on MTV on 11 January 2014. In April 2014, he held the Salaam Dubai 2014 concert in Dubai, followed by concerts in Goa, Dubai, Chennai and Hong Kong.
On 29 August 2015, KK appeared as a judge and guest judge in the second season of the television singing reality show Indian Idol Junior. On 13 September the same year, he appeared on the Sony Mix show Baaton Baaton Mein. In a 2019 interview with Hindustan Times, KK said he was active in the music industry, performing live and as a playback singer. Live performances made him happy. He enjoyed performing live, did not want to abandon his “commitment to the audience”, and wanted to release a new album following the success of his second album in 2008.
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Krishnakumar Kunath Personal life
KK married Jyothy Krishna in 1991. Together they sang “Masti” (from the album Humsafar). KK also has a daughter, Taamala Krishna Kunath.
Artistic abilities
Singing and musical style
KK had no formal musical training. Film director Mahesh Bhatt has said, “KK had an emotional range that reflected the four seasons of the heart.” He could be flirtatious, romantic, and anguished. He could dig deep and talk about the wonder and magic of life.
KK believed that it wasn’t important for a singer to be seen, but “singers need to be heard.” In a 2019 interview, he said he was comfortable on a microphone but uncomfortable in front of a camera. KK respected his privacy and protected it “intensely.” He did not want his singing to be associated with any particular actor, preferring to sing for a variety of actors. He is generally regarded as a very versatile singer. Irina Acharya of Film Companion described his singing as follows: “KK’s soft, honeyed voice flowed like water. She could reproduce every note, every sound. He could shape the pitch to reach and resonate with the highs and lows of the human experience.”
Inspiration
KK often cites legendary singer Kishore Kumar as an inspiration. Citing his idol as one of the reasons for not undergoing any formal training, KK added: “I later found out that Kishoreda had never studied music, so that gave me even more reason not to take music lessons.” Sneha Vengani of CNBC TV18 compared him to his inspiration, stating, “Just like Kumar’s songs, KK’s songs are also self-centred.” The entities involved are larger than the films or albums they belong to.
Influence and Recognition
KK’s work has been praised by several artists. Arijit Singh considered KK his favourite singer and mentor. In 2023, Singh paid tribute to him by singing his song “Dil Ibadat” at one of his concerts. Abhijeet Bhattacharya called him a “path-breaking singer” and said, “KK was a path-breaking singer and that remains the case. He was our last playback singer… I don’t count those who came after him as playback singers.” His songs were written for the screen and heroes.” Anupam Roy called KK his idol, adding that he was an “energetic performer” who drew energy from the audience. “The best times were when we recorded songs together and performed on stage. KK was a very disciplined person. He was punctual and always perfectly prepared for song recordings and stage shows. We did some amazing duets together. Calling him her favourite, Sunidhi Chauhan added, “I was always petrified by KK’s stage presence and will never forget the few shows we did together. Personally, I am such a fan of KK that I aspire to be just like him.” A.R. Rahman, Richa Sharma, Amit Mishra, Usha Uthup, Shreya Ghosal, Sonu Nigam, Vishal Dadlani and Mohit Chauhan have performed his musicals. He is often praised for his skills and singing.
Many actors too list KK as their favourite. Pankaj Tripathi said, “I am a huge fan of KK and he is one of my favourite singers. The songs he sang were so soulful and amazing.” KK has also sung a few songs for Emraan Hashmi, who said, “A voice and talent like no other… there is no one like him today. It was always very special working on a song sung by KK.”
Popularity
KK has been described in the media as one of the most popular and versatile singers in Indian cinema. S. R. Praveen described him as “a rare Malayali singer” who has achieved success in Bollywood. India Television has included him in its list of “Top 10 Bollywood Singers” of all time. KK ranked 30th in Google’s “Top 100 Most Searched Asians” list of 2022. A total of nine songs by KK were ranked in BBC’s “Top 40 Bollywood Soundtracks of All Time” list.
Krishnakumar Kunath Illness and Death
On 31 May 2022, KK performed a concert at a college festival in Nazrul Mancha, South Kolkata. After the concert, he returned to his hotel at the Esplanade. On his way back to the hotel, he complained of feeling unwell and went into cardiac arrest. He collapsed and attempts to resuscitate him at the hotel failed. KK was rushed to the Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) at around 10:30 pm, where he was declared dead. He was 53 years old.
On 1 June 2022, Kolkata Police registered a case of unnatural death to investigate KK’s death. His autopsy was videotaped. The report cited a heart attack as the possible cause of death and ruled out any possibility of foul play. According to the doctor who performed the autopsy, KK could have survived if he had received CPR immediately after he lost consciousness. He had complained of pain in his shoulders and arms to his wife a few days before his death and attributed it to digestive problems. The autopsy report said that KK’s heart was 80% blocked.[citation needed] Three public interest litigation (PIL) cases related to the singer’s death have been filed in the Calcutta High Court.
Funeral
The West Bengal government gave a gun salute to KK at Rabindra Sadan in Kolkata. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also present at the salute. Many prominent figures from the film and music industry and politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, offered their condolences. KK’s remains were brought to Mumbai and his burial took place the next day (June 2) at the Versova Hindu Cemetery in a ceremony attended by family, friends and colleagues.
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Tribute And Honours
KK’s statue set up in 2023, on the region wherein he gave his final overall performance
Reporting KK’s death, Deccan Herald referred to as him the “voice of love”. According to The Times of India, he turned into Bollywood’s maximum flexible singer. An article in The Hindu stated, “Till the end, he remained a rage withinside the live performance circuit and may be remembered because the singer who have become the voice of the heart”.
In 2023, a statue of KK turned into set up at Gurudas Mahavidyalaya in Kolkata, the identical region wherein he executed his final live performance.[89] Several singers like Arijit Singh, Shaan, Sunidhi Chauhan, Sonu Nigam, Shilpa Rao and others have given a tribute to KK, with the aid of using making a song his songs throughout their concerts.
On 25 October 2024, Google venerated him with a Google Doodle to rejoice the anniversary of his debut as a playback singer in 1996 whilst he sang Chhod Aaye Hum withinside the film