Shankar Mahadevan about KK: He leaves a big void in my heart

Music composer Shankar Mahadevan shares anecdotes about the late singer Krishnakumar Kunnath aka KK
Shankar Mahadevan speaks about KK
Shankar Mahadevan speaks about KK

Indians across the world are mourning the loss of singer Krishnakumar Kunnath aka KK. Composer Shankar Mahadevan who is KK's contemporary has known him for 30 years, and the two have been friends since when they worked together on jingles for advertisements. The composer shares his memories of the singer, anecdotes from their life, and the impression that KK made on him. Shankar and KK worked together on multiple occasions, from singing 'Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe' for Dil Chahta Hai to 'India Waale' for Happy New Year.

"KK was an incredible artist and an incredible human being and our friendship goes back almost 30 years. Even before I got into mainstream film music we used to sing a lot of jingles together. We were one gang of musicians who were doing jingles, audiovisuals, and independent music. So when I was doing Breathless and other stuff, he was doing Pyar Ke Pal with Leslee Lewis and other songs. His contribution is immense because even today when you hear the song Pyar Ke Pal or Yaaron, you get goosebumps and you will get tears in your eyes. Can you believe it? It is the last song that he sang — Hum Rahen Ya Na Rahen, Yaad Aayenge Yeh Pal. It is so ironic and so moving. 

"KK was a multilingual singer and it goes back to the days when we used to sing jingles. He was also a busy artist in the advertising world and he became a superstar in the film and in the independent music world. He was a sought-after artist and he used to record a lot in multiple languages — Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, and many other languages. It is his sheer voice quality, and his personality that reflected in his voice. He was an amazing musician, and his voice communicated a very strong emotion to the people.

"In one of our very first films, Dil Chahta Hai,  KK, Shaan, and I sang Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe. It's an unforgettable memory.

"I met KK about 2-3 months ago in Kolkata for a finale of a reality show. A big celebration was happening. There were many of us, and we were just teasing him. We told him, 'You are just like Benjamin Button. You are looking so fit, so handsome, so young as the years go by.' I used to call him Mr. India because he did not have a WhatsApp number, he was not on Instagram and he was not worried about his Twitter or Facebook followers. He was completely cut off from social media. His priority was to spend time with his family. It was all about his family. That was the kind of person he was. 
 
"We have had some amazing times together — we have laughed, eaten together, done shows together — we have created beautiful memories. He is going to be missed, a big void in my heart, for the rest of my life."

KK passed away on May 31 after suffering from chest pain.

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