In another very tragic and untimely death, beloved singer, son of India, Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK collapsed and passed away after singing at a live concert in Kolkata. He was only 53 and was doing what he does best -- singing songs from his soul, songs that have moved entire generations and millions of people all over the world, including the Indian diaspora that lives abroad.
Modest Beginnings
Coming from modest beginnings, as a singer for advertisements and jingles, KK sang some 3,500 jingles, before moving from Delhi to Mumbai in 1994, at the age of 26, with his wife and his presence soon became an enduring and lively feature of Bollywood and the rest of the Indian film industries.
KK as he was affectionately known by fans and music lovers across the globe, hit the big time in Bollywood, in 1999 with his songs like Tadap Tadap, from the Salman Khan and Aiswariya Rai starrer, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. He went on to sing a significant chunk of many famous, much loved and enduring Bollywood songs.
Youth Anthems
Many of KK’s songs became youth anthems like Yaaron Dosti, Hum Dum Suniyo Re, Pal, Aankhon Mein Teri and so many more that have resonated with everyone and which I might add touched everyone’s soul across the nation. His songs will be timeless and have in fact immortalized him as a singer and performer.
Some famous celebrities have passed away recently, when they were at the peak of their careers like actor Siddharth Shukla, music director Bappi Lahiri, rapper Sidhu Moosewala, actor Sushant Singh Rajput, actor Rishi Kapoor and others. Some of them passed away because of natural causes, some unnatural and others because of stress.
The Transient Nature of Showbiz
This makes one wonder about the transient nature of showbiz and that everything is not as it seems in this dream world of fame and fortune. As audiences, we probably have no idea about the struggles, stress and challenges that famous artists have to go through. Yet, most of us envy them and think that they are living the dream life with immense wealth, status and fame.
KK is not the only singer who passed away in his fifties. The legendary Mohammed Rafi passed away at the age of 55 following a heart attack. His legendary status was validated by 10,000 people who attended his burial. Even today, Mohammed Rafi is loved by both young and old.
A contemporary of Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, equally well-known, passed away unexpectedly, at the age of 58.
With his scintillating booming voice, Kishore Kumar gave a new verve to Bollywood singing. Like Rafi, his songs are still loved by all generations, even today.
Showbiz entertains the world and brings joy and cheer to our hearts and souls. It is only right and human to cherish the memories of these legendary artists.
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