Google celebrated the late Indian singer KK (Krishnakumar Kunnath) with an animated doodle to commemorate the anniversary of his Bollywood debut. On this day in 1996, he sang his first Bollywood song, 'Chhod Aaye Hum,' for Gulzar's political thriller Maachis.
The animated doodle showcases KK standing and singing with a mic in his hand.In a note explaining the relevance of the doodle, Google said on their website, "This Doodle celebrates Krishnakumar Kunnath, also known as KK, a successful Indian playback singer most known for his versatility. He is widely remembered for recording songs in several languages including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Bengali, Assamese, and Gujarati."
KK's journey in music began after he graduated from Kirori Mal College at Delhi University. Before fully pursuing his passion for singing, he briefly explored a career in marketing. His breakthrough came in 1994 when he submitted a demo tape that led to him performing commercial jingles, setting the stage for an illustrious career.
In 1999, KK made a significant impact on Bollywood playback singing with the emotional track "Tadap Tadap" from the film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. That same year, he released his debut solo album, Pal, which quickly became a sensation. The album's title track and the song "Yaaron" became timeless anthems of friendship and nostalgia. The singer died of a suspected heart attack at 53 in May 2022.