The news of his passing away came as a big shock to me. KK was the voice behind my first hit song, Aashayein in Iqbal [2005, which was composed by Salim-Sulaiman Merchant]. I have some of the best memories behind that, which incidentally was not even recorded while we were filming Iqbal. We had shot certain portions, keeping in mind that a song would come during the scene, but our director Nagesh [Kukunoor] wasn’t sure whether to put it or not.

After the shoot, during the edit, he came home and showed us the scratch version of KK’s song. Deepti [wife], Elahe [Kukunoor’s wife] and I instantly loved it. Aashayein was so soulful, add KK’s voice to that [and the song seemed] almost divine and inspirational. We got a phenomenal response for the song, the nation loved it. After working in the industry for 18 years, I am still introduced on stage with that song, which is the power of the song and his voice. 

The irony is that KK and I have never met in all these years, though we have spoken on the phone several times. My friend, Tanay Gajjar — a sound recording engineer — worked on KK’s shows. KK always reminisced about the phenomenal response the song, Aashayein received from people.

As per what I’ve heard, KK was a gentle, humble, and committed singer, who was passionate about his work. He would go to sleep early, practice yoga and lead a disciplined lifestyle. When something like this happens, it shakes you up. Wonder if the running around we do for work and the pressure we handle, is even worth it?