KK has been a critical part of our childhood and youth. This singer had mastered the art of linking emotions and music so well that he became the masses’ favorite. From friendship to crush to love to heartbreak, he had mastered the art of capturing just the right emotions. And, as we are mourning his sudden death, here are some unknown facts about KK that make him extra-special
Unknown Facts About KK
1. KK’s Real Name
KK’s real name is Krishnakumar Kunnath but he has picked his stage name as KK. On Kapil Sharma Show, KK shared the reason for shortening his name: “Jab mein Delhi mein tha toh sab mujhe KK hi bulatein the, toh meine socha ki mein Krishna Kumar karlu, par phir koi Krishna Kumar ko nahi pehchanta tha toh joh janta hain jis naam se wahi rakho toh isliye KK naam rakha.”
2. KK: an extremely shy person
In a 2018 interview with Hindustan Times, KK had said, “I have always been media-shy, and you won’t see my photos much in the media. I think that’s why people don’t know who I really am. It happens so many times with me that after a concert fans come up to me and ask “Are you really KK and have you really sung songs like Tadap Tadap or Alvida?” I know they are not misinformed, or anything like that, but it’s just that they haven’t seen me much. So, they don’t know what I really look like.”
3. KK & his wife Jyothy were childhood sweethearts
KK has been married to Jyothy Krishna, his childhood sweetheart, for approximately 24 years. They met for the first time when they were in Class 6th. During an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show, KK revealed how he had never dated any other girl except his wife, Jyothy, and had said: “I have dated only one girl in my life and that is my wife Jyothy. I was a shy guy and couldn’t even date her properly. Sometimes my kids tease me about this.”
In a 2017 Aaj Tak show, Sureeli Baat, shy KK opened up about how he sang the song, Pyaar Deewana Hota hai to woo his wife during all the colony functions. He had further shared how he had confessed his feeling to her and had stated: “She did know about my feelings then. We were very young, perhaps in sixth or seventh class. We were very young. When I understood my feelings, I confessed and told her ‘I need to have you as my partner in life.”
In the same interview, KK had also revealed that Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ek Range Hain was the song he had sung for his wife on their wedding night.
ALSO READ: KK and Jyothy’s Love Story: From Falling In Love In Class 6 To Staying In Love Till Last Breath
4. KK found a job to marry his lady love
KK took a job as a salesperson to marry his ladylove. After six months on the job, KK, now a married man, was dissatisfied. He acquired the guts to quit it and follow what he was born to do-music, thanks to the encouragement of his wife and father.
Some more unknown facts about KK
5. KK had no professional vocal training
The singer, who is one of the most well-known figures in Bollywood music, has no professional musical training. When KK was a student at Delhi’s Mount St. Mary School, he would listen to his mother’s Malayali songs, which his father would record on a little tape recorder.
6. KK found his passion for music in school
It was during a school performance that he realized that music was his passion. KK, who was studying in class 2nd had sung the song, Jab Andhera Hota Hai from the film, Raja Rani and the crowd had applauded the little genius. KK describes this experience as “life-changing” and thinks that it has aided him in becoming who he is now.
7. KK-the underdog
Although KK’s songs had made a huge impact on the audience, the singer had only won one award in a career of almost two decades for his song, Khuda Jaane from the film, Bachna Ae Haseeno. But KK had no qualms about it as the singer had once stated that he had never desired to win an award.
8. His first paycheck in the music industry
KK had lent his voice to more than 3,500 jingles and in 1994, when his first jingle with Loy Mendonsa went on air, people had started noticing the voice behind it. For the paycheck of his first jingle, when the music director, Ranjit Barot had asked KK about his charges, the singer was quite skeptical as he wasn’t aware of the pay system in the industry, where he was totally new. Later, when Ranjit had flashed his five fingers, KK had assumed that he would be paid Rs. 500, but to his utter surprise, the paycheck had an amount of Rs. 5000.
9. KK’s Strong Determination
KK sang almost 3500 ad jingles before he got his first big break in Bollywood songs.
10. KK’s Big Break
KK had got his break as a playback singer with AR Rahman’s hit songs, Kalluri Saaley and Hello Doctor and his first Bollywood song was Chod Aaye Hum Who Galiyan from the film Maachis. However, it was the superhit track, Tadap Tadap Ke Is Dil Se from the film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, that had made KK a huge sensation. He had become an overnight star and since then, there was no looking back for him.
11. KK didn’t believe he could sing ‘Tadap Tadap Ke’ (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam)
Composer Ismail Darbar recalled when he first asked KK to come and sing the song, he was charmed by the singer’s ‘masoomiyat’. Darbar was moved by his honesty as KK didn’t believe that he could sing the track. However, he convinced KK that he could only hear the song in KK’s voice and no one else’s.
12. When KK sang his first song, Ismail Darbar didn’t have money to pay him
Darbar shared that Tadap Tadap was not even composed for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film, it was for another big film. The producer asked him to get qawwali singers to sing the track, and Darbar realised that the song ‘wasn’t turning out great’ within a day. He called KK to come to the studio and recorded the track, much to the producer’s annoyance. He was thrown out of the big-budget film and admitted that he didn’t have money to pay KK when he first sang the song. But, he promised KK that when he signs a film, only he will sing the song.
Four months later, he met Bhansali, who ‘kept testing’ him for almost six months. Finally, a rather exhausted Darbar gave him the song, Tadap Tadap. An overwhelmed and teary Bhansali said that he found his ‘maqsad’ for the film and said that he had found the climax and interval of the film, in short the climax. And so, Darbar was signed on for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.
13. KK had also sung for TV shows
Apart from movies and albums, KK had also sung for television shows like Just Mohabbat, Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Hip Hip Hurray, Kkavyanjali and many more.
14. KK’s Songs
KK had a career spanning three decades, KK has sung over 700 beautiful songs.
15. Ad Jingles
From ‘Jab Ghar Ki Ronak Badani Ho’ (Nerolac) to ‘Desk ki Dhadkan’ (Hero Honda) to Pepsi, KK has given us some really magnificent ad jingles.
R.I.P KK. You will be missed.
