Google honours singer KK, celebrates his Bollywood debut anniversary

Kolkata: The famous search engine Google on Friday celebrated late playback singer KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath), who was known for his soulful, romantic songs, with a doodle to commemorate the anniversary of his Bollywood debut.

On this day in 1996, KK debuted as a playback singer on the song, Chhod Aaye Hum, as a feature in the movie, Maachis.

Kunnath was born on August 23, 1968, in Delhi. He attended the Kirori Mal College of Delhi University and shortly worked in marketing before transitioning fully to music.

In 1994, he submitted a demo tape to popular Indian artists and got his start performing commercial jingles.

KK made his debut as a Hindi cinema playback singer in 1999 with the song Tadap Tadap from the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

He released his first album Pal that same year. Each song was a massive hit and propelled him into the limelight. In the following years, KK found even more success: 3,500 jingles in 11 languages.

Many recognized his versatility and alluring voice and invited him to perform for several Indian cinema productions. Throughout his three-decade-long career, he sang over 500 songs in Hindi and more than 200 in Telugu, Bengali, Kannada, and Malayalam.

KK also received six Filmfare Award nominations and two Star Screen Awards for his works, among many other accolades and honors. He’s recognized as one of India’s brightest and most talented playback singers in history.

KK passed away in Kolkata in May 2022, soon after an energetic live performance at the age of 53.

A statue was raised in Kolkata, where he performed his last concert, to celebrate the late musician’s legacy and impact.