Indian singer KK dead at 53

 
Indian singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, has passed away after falling ill while performing at an event in Kolkata, reports The Indian Express. He was just 53. Doctors at the CMRI hospital declared him dead after the musician was rushed there, hospital sources said.

KK had been performing at Nazrul Mancha for Gurudas College's fest when he took ill. "It's unfortunate that we could not treat him," a senior official of the hospital said. He was born in Delhi and was also known for his electric live shows. His Instagram page had been sharing updates from his concert in Kolkata as recently as eight hours ago.

KK is known for songs like 'Pal' and 'Yaaron', which went on to become big hits among teens in the late 1990s, often heard during school and college farewells and teen cultural events.

KK released his first album, Pal in 1999. The singer-composer focused more on Bollywood than on his independent music, giving hits such as Tadap Tadap (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, 1999), Dus Bahane (Dus, 2005), and Tune Maari Entriyaan (Gunday, 2014).

His 1999 debut album Pal was critically acclaimed. From the early 2000s, he blazed a career in playback singing and recorded a wide range of popular songs for Bollywood films.

He recorded songs in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali, among other languages.

KK's sudden death has shattered the fraternity members and many took to social media, expressing their grief over the news. Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee confirmed the news and tweeted: KK passed away. Can't believe what I just heard. She was among the first ones to express her shock.