From ‘Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai’ To ‘Chhal’
He left us too soon. But left behind songs to swoon.|
Tadap tadap ke is dil se aah nikalti rahi (Hum…Dil De Chuke Sanam): KK’s breakthrough song was a master blaster. His range was not just strange, it was a revelation. Sanjay Leela Bhansali recalls the moment when he decided KK was the ‘It’ man. “What a singer! His voice had the throw of a pro. I remember when composer Ismail Durbar came to me with the song Tadap tadap ke, it was in KK’s voice. Normally scratch recordings (sample recordings) are done in temporary voices. But when I heard the song my first response was, ‘Oh my God! What a voice? Who’s this? Where did you find him?’ Ismail said it was the voice of a singer named KK and he had heard him sing a song Chhod aaye hum woh galiyan for Vishal Bhardwaj. I told Ismail that I loved the song Tadap tadap ke. But the voice must remain. I couldn’t imagine anyone else singing Tadap tadap ke.”
Jab Bhi Koi Haseena (Hera Pheri): KK was mike-cast as a serious singer. But his lighter songs were equally intricate and showed up his skills, though in less obvious ways. This flirtatious tune composed by Anu Malik went pat on Akshay Kumar in the much talked about 2000 film.
Banda bindaas hai (Aks): In Rakeysh Om Prakash’s deviant debut drama, KK had two songs: the eerie duet Aaja gufaon mein aa with Vasundhara Das. The solo Banda bindaas is a ravishing breezy feel-glued number. Speaking on KK, Rakeysh Mehra says, “His vocal range was staggering. There was nothing he couldn’t do. He could create a universe through his voice. I don’t think we really understood his talent.”
Mujhe kuch kehna hai (title song): Can one song be superior to an entire film put together? In the title track of this film, KK proved it was possible for a playback singer to surpass the boundaries of the parent product. Singing greats in the past did it all the time. But in this millennium KK was a rarity. The film’s director once told me, “I would put KK among the singing greats like Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh.”
Chhal (title song): In Hansal Mehta’s underrated crime thriller two KKs came together, actor KK Menon and the singer KK who blasted across the skyline like a melodious meteor. Hansal describes KK’s title song composed by Viju Shah (Kalyanji’s son) as the backbone of the film. So true.
Awaarapan banjarapan (Jism): M M Kreem, who composed this stunning solo, said to me that before the recording he couldn’t have imagined what KK could do to the tune. “He just took it to another sphere. He was one of those rare singers who made the tune and the lyrics his own,” said Kreem.
Jaane kisske khwab (Guzaarish): KK was a method singer. When he came to know that the hero of Sanjay Bhansali’s film, Hrithik Roshan, was a paraplegic, KK insisted on singing Bhansali’s composition in a sitting position. Bhansali was stupefied by the singer’s dedication.