The sudden and untimely demise of singer KK has left a deep void in all our hearts. The melodious singer died soon after performing at a concert in Kolkata on Tuesday night. KK, whose real name was Krishnakumar Kunnath was a private person and shied away from media letting his songs talk for him, so naturally his personal life was also not well known. However, he credited his wife Jyothy for playing an important role in his career as she made him move base from Delhi to Mumbai in 1994. Soon after shifting to Mumbai, KK had his breakthrough with his first album Pal in 1999 which is gained a cult status. He also had his first Bollywood hit with Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai starrer Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in which he sang Tadap Tadap which was an instant hit.
Talking about how Jyothy nudged him to make the move from Delhi to Mumbai, he said in an interview in 2013, “It was a very stagnant existence that I was leading. I was doing jingles, producing jingles, advertising, and all that. But there was only that much I could do. I was getting to a dead-end. I had got married just three years ago and my wife Jyothy became the reason for me to move to Bombay."
He further said in the video for Sony Music India, “She (Jyothy made me take decision which on my own I would not have taken. She helped me get out of certain state of mind, she continues to do that even now. It worked well for me that I got married before I settled down and she helped me in settling down."
In 2017 KK spoke about how he wooed his wife on Aaj Tak show Sureeli Baat and sang Pyar Deewana Hota Hai calling it one of his favourite songs. He said, “Hope my wife Jyothy is listening to this. Jab maine usko pataya tha to yahi gana gaya tha (I wooed her singing this song). I remember I used to sing this song at my colony's annual function every year.” However, KK revealed that he could never dedicate the song to his wife or look at her during his performance because their parents would also be there. He said, “We could not do such things at the time. Our parents used to be there as well. We could not be so direct. I had to steal glances while singing. 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'.”
During the show he also sang Tere Mere Sapne Ab Ik Rang Hain and revealed that it was the song he sang for his wife on the first evening after their wedding. KK had said, “The sad part is, I sing songs at home all day and she tells me 'please yaar don't bother me now'. It happens very often. And I tell her 'don't you know how many people wait for me to sing outside? Girls even try holding me when I go for the shows.' I lie to her. That does not happen too often. She's like 'Please do not bug me'. Though, there are times when she loves it...she is sitting and I sing for her."
KK married his childhood love, Jyothy Lakshmi Krishna in 1991 before moving to Mumbai. He saw her first when he was in the sixth standard and used to sing Kishore Kumar’s songs to woo her. He is survived by his wife and two children, son Nakul Krishna Kunnath and daughter Tamara Kunnath.
(Source: Sony Music India/Aaj Tak)
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