In an industry where competition is growing by the day and his contemporaries are getting to sing lesser number of songs, singer KK speaks to Deepali Dhingra about staying free of insecurities and fears
When KK was in school, one of his teachers advised to send his son to a music tutor to learn the craft as he had a good voice. “I went for exactly two days and gave it up,” laughs the singer, who has crooned some of the most melodious numbers in Bollywood, including Yaaron from Rockford, Koi Kahe from Dil Chahta Hai, Tu Aashiqui Hai from Jhankaar Beats, Aashayein from Iqbal and Khuda Jaane from Bachna Ae Haseenon. Pal, that beautiful number, which became a love anthem for many, was also delivered by this talented singer in 1999.
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KK believes in encouraging the younger lot of musicians. Pic/Nimesh Dave
When we catch up with the musician at his Yari Road studio, it’s almost like meeting an old friend — he knows how to put you at ease. Guess the whole ‘media-shy’ image is a bit of a misnomer, although the Delhi-born singer does admit that he prefers to go unnoticed in crowds. “I’m not reclusive, but I feel that there should be something substantial for me to talk about,” he adds.
For somebody who admits to never being a prolific singer, KK says that he doesn’t know how he’s managed to survive for so long in the music industry. “People say one should be visible, but I haven’t done anything else besides singing. I’m happy if I get to sing five songs a month,” he says. He is grateful that music composers understood this side of his personality and cast him for their songs.
The year 2014 has been good for him, with songs such as Tune Maari Entriyaan from Gunday and Dil Aajkal from Purani Jeans getting a lot of attention from cine-goers. “Then there was a lovely song that didn’t get noticed from Parathe Wali Gali called Tere Bin Ho Na Sakega Guzara and Meri Ma from Yaarian,” he adds to the list. Unlike some of his contemporaries who sound bitter about the current musical scenario, KK has a different take. “As an artiste, I have only gained over the years, so I have only good things to talk about. Why would I want to say anything bad about new singers? One should appreciate what some of the new singers are doing and learn from them,” he adds. His focus has always been his music. “When I enter a recording studio, it’s like I have blinkers on. I keep my slate clean — I don’t think about what anyone else is doing,” he says.
Over the years, he admits to changing his approach towards his career, in some ways. He’s recently made his presence felt on Twitter, and is enjoying the feedback that he’s getting from his fans. “I think I kept KK, the singer, behind KK, the man for too long. I have started opening up now,” he says. There’s an added sense of rejuvenation, as the talented artiste, who has two albums to his credit, believes this is the right time for him to create some independent music again. “It might be just a single, but I feel like delving into my abilities as a musician,” says KK. Needless to say, his fans will be waiting to see what he comes up with.
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