KK: The singer whose charming voice can make you fall in love

'Zara sa dile main de zaga tu, Zara sa apna le bana'

(Give me a little place in your heart, take a little bit of me in your possession)

As a mid 90s' kid, I was tip-toeing to my adolescence phase when the beautiful ballad of love "Zara sa" voiced by KK, Krishnakumar Kunnath, and lip-synched by Emran Hashmi in his 2008 film "Jannat," became my favourite.

The blend of romantic lyrics by Sayeed Quadri, the ethereal vocal finesse of KK, and Pritam's composition made my "ichre paka" (precocious) little heart believe one day my prince charming will arrive and ask for a little place in my heart.

When KK sang the chorus, I felt a tingle of infatuation in my heart, for my first crush when I was still a child.

KK – the 54-year-old singer who passed away in the blink of an eye after delivering his final live performance on 31 May in Kolkata – broke into the music scene with the solo album "Pal" in 1999.

KK on his last live in Kolkata. Photo: Instagram

Apart from launching his debut album, KK also earned rave reviews in 1999 for "Tarap Tarap," a song resonating the woes of a broken lover, from Salman Khan and Aishwaria Rai Bachchan starrar film "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam".

He has lent his voice to a whopping number of emotional, romantic, and groundbreaking songs throughout his carrier.

The playback singer has captured eternal love in songs through his surreal voice.

"Labon ko... labon pe... sajao... Kya ho tum... Mujhe ab batao" (Adorn your lips with my lips and tell me now what you are) – KK's romantic song with alluring lyrics from the Vidya Balan starrar 2007 film "Bhool Bhulaiya" – is perhaps the most favourite song for almost every Bollywood music admirer who may have dedicated it to their beloved one.

KK's love ballads have witnessed people going from ordinary to transforming into extraordinary stars.  "Aankho mein Teri Ajab si Azab si Adaayein ha...Dil Ko bana de to patang.. Saansein ye teri wo hawaye ha" (Your eyes are full of mysterious expressions...your aura makes my heart a flying kite), the iconic song from Deepika Padukone's debut film "Om Shanti Om" opposite Shah Rukh Khan, released in 2007, is engraved in the hearts of millions.

The scene of the song, where Deepika adorns herself with an eyeliner and her mesmerising dimpled smile, and waves at her diehard fans, made her a star.

The media-shy singer KK never chased the limelight but wanted to be known through his ethereal songs.

During an interview with Hindustan Times, KK once said, "I have always been media shy, and you won't see my photos much. 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 that 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."

He's right. Even during my nostalgic teenage years, I did not know him by face but I knew most of his songs by heart. His songs were with me during the perks and perils of my love life. 

KK's "Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hain" from Emraan Hashmi and Kangana Ranaut starrar "Wo Lamhe" can send lovers on cloud nine and make them fall for each other all over again.

KK was a devoted lover in real life. He married his childhood sweetheart in 1991. During the Kapil Sharma Show, the passionate singer recalled that he took a salesman's job for a few months as his would-be father-in-law wanted him to have a stable job. "I did that job for three months," reminisced KK.

KK sang "Hum Rahe Ya Na Rahe Kaal, Kaal Yaad Ayenge Ye Paal" as his last song on his last live performance before bidding adieu his fans for the last time.

From believing in love to waiting for love, than to rejoice in love, KK's voice will forever echo as the ultimate sign of love.