Elina Nayak (BOMBAY TIMES; March 17, 2018)

Krishna Kumar Kunnath, popular as KK, has been mesmerising us with his powerful and soulful voice for over two decades now. Whether it’s Chodh Aaye Hum Woh Galiyan, Tu Ashiqui Hai, Tadap Tadap Ke, Zara Sa, Khuda Jaane, Tu Hi Meri Shab or Tune Mari Entriyaan, his songs are still evergreen in our hearts. The singer shifted to Mumbai from Delhi in the 90s to pursue his dreams of making an album. Little did he know that one day he would end up becoming one of the top playback singers in the country. The singer gets candid in a freewheeling chat about his plans to compose his own music, the dying Indipop scene in the country and more. Excerpts:

We don’t get to hear you often in Bollywood these days. You’ve been very choosy with songs for some time now. Is that a conscious decision?
It’s just that there are plenty of singers out there, so I feel that I should start doing what I came here to do initially. Singing happened to me — all thanks to God, and my friends and family, who pushed and encouraged me. Plus, I got the opportunity to sing some very beautiful songs over the years. However, I had come to this industry to make albums, not films. In 1999, I did Pal, and then Tadap Tadap (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam) happened at the same time. I couldn’t help it, and I still continued taking up as many of the songs as I could. I thought that maybe if I do films too, it would open up new avenues for me. At the time, I thought I would continue playback singing for a few years before going back to the original plan. However, those few years have turned into 22 years now (laughs). I have come to a situation in my life, where I have to be stingy. Trust me, it takes a lot of time to forget yourself, to forget the artist in you, and to sing songs for another composer. You are always like, ‘chal, I’ll sing Awarapan for you’, ‘I’ll sing Ding Dong Ding for you’, ‘I will do Khuda Jaane for you...’ But this is not me. I’m a music director’s singer. I want to start discovering myself and my own music. I hope I have that vision and focus to compose and write my own songs, and I hope to come up with a single this year. I’m not a mediocre guy, who’ll do something just for the heck of it. I need to live my life. I want to do five to six film songs a year at the most. The time has come, when God is like, ‘chal, now you do your kind of songs’. I’m slowly getting back on my track.

Anybody and everybody is turning into a playback singer today, thanks to auto tune. Though helpful, do you think technology can be a curse too?
The thing is, everyone wants to sing today, which is good, because singing gives you a high. It relaxes your mind and body, and it make you happy. All this is fine to an extent, but what will you do when you perform live on stage? You can’t just say ‘chalo, main bhi ek video bana leta hoon, because iska koi faida nai hota’. How will it help you? You can look pretty in videos and pictures, but if you don’t sound good live, people will think — ‘OMG, yeh toh model hai... samne kuch aur hi hai’. To actually be a professional in this field, you need a lot of hard work and commitment. It’s not easy.

There was a time when Indi-pop, as a genre, created an alternative fan base that could compete with Bollywood music. Today, it’s almost vanished from the scene. What do you think is the reason behind it?
To start with, I do hope the independent scene grows, because we have so much talent out there. There was a time when we had to get our songs shot, make videos with recording companies, and then release them. Today, we have YouTube. All you have to do is sing and upload your songs, and next thing you know, you are an internet sensation — like Dhinchak Pooja. She is popular, but there’s a difference between being trendy, and being an actual serious musician, who can generate good music and stay here for good. Singing can only happen if you believe in it. It can’t be like, ‘let me have some fun temporarily’. The moment you put your best foot forward, and take it to another level, you become stronger.

What do you do when you’re not singing?
I love to go on long drives. That’s my way of chilling, and it’s my favourite pastime as well. Moreover, I’m a total family guy, who loves cooking, watching movies with family, and sitting and chatting with my wife and two kids. Sometimes, we chat the whole day, about various topics, and end up arguing, fighting and then patching up again (laughs). So, if I’m not working, I’m home.

You’re not active on social media either...
I’m not a social media person, nor am I on any messaging apps, I’m not active anywhere. It takes a lot of time and investment, and like I said, if I’m not working, I’m with family. I’m very selfish about my time, because it’s my time and I’ve been like this for the last 22 years now. I connect with my fans by performing live or when I meet them in person at malls, on the roads, or anywhere else. They come to me with lot of love and passion, and lot of faith in my music, so that’s when I oblige them.