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KK death: Popular Bollywood singer collapses and dies, aged 53

Singer reportedly felt unwell after a concert in Kolkata

Inga Parkel
Tuesday 31 May 2022 21:42 BST
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Krishnakumar Kunnath
Krishnakumar Kunnath (SET India/YouTube)

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Bollywood singer KK – full name Krishnakumar Kunnath – has died. He was 53.

The popular Indian musician died Tuesday night (31 May) in Kolkata, India.

According to The Hindu, Kunnath felt ill and collapsed after returning to his hotel following a concert at Nazrul Manch.

He was then rushed to a private hospital, where he was declared dead after suffering a heart attack, Times of India reported.

In 1999, KK released his debut album Pal. He went on to become one of the most successful Indian singers of the 2000s.

With over 700 recorded songs in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Bengali, and other languages, his hits include “Tadap Tadap,” “Dus Bahane,” and “Tune Maari Entriyaan”.

Kunnath is survived by his wife and two sons.

Narendra Modi tweet
Narendra Modi tweet (Narendra Modi/Twitter)

Following the news of his death, other entertainers shared their condolences, with Indian-Canadian actor Akshay Kumar sharing a tweet that read: “Extremely sad and shocked to know of the sad demise of KK. What a loss.”

“In a state of total shock. Just met him last month for the first time and it seemed that we had known each other for years. The chatter wouldn’t just stop,” filmmaker Srijit Mukherji said in a Facebook post.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared a tribute on Twitter, writing: “Saddened by the untimely demise of noted singer Krishnakumar Kunnath popularly known as KK. His songs reflected a wide range of emotions as struck a chord with people of all age groups. We will always remember him through his songs. Condolences to his family and fans. Om Shanti.”

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