KK's ex-bandmate recalls late singer's struggle; 'He wondered if Bombay would give space'

Popular singer KK passed away on May 31 and the news left his fans and the film fraternity in shock as they mourned his loss. His friend and former bandmate from college, Gautam Chikermane opened up about the untimely loss of the singer and recalled some memorable times they spent together. He also recalled KK's struggle and rise to the top in the music industry.

Gautam Chikermane on KK's struggle

Gautam Chikermane took to his Twitter account to reminisce about the time he spent with KK and recalled an incident when the duo went to Marine Drive in Mumbai. KK told his friend that he had earlier visited the same spot and wondered if 'Bombay' at the time, would give him 'space'. Gautam Chikermane said, "Bombay became Mumbai and our KK became India’s KK".

Chikermane recalled that when life hit KK, he began selling typewriters for a living, but his 'swadharma lay in a parallel universe'. This is when the Hum Rahe Ya Na Rahe Kal singer quit his job and began singing in hotels. However, KK faced obstacles during gigs as he mentioned it was not a great experience to have the audience eating and drinking while he and the band were performing. He told Chikermane, "After 10 minutes or so, we would play for ourselves. That kept us going."

The late star's friend also recalled that the duo was a part of a band in college along with a few others. He mentioned that they used to take part in several college festivals and competitions, and always won first or second place. He mentioned that the late star was always 'full of enthusiasm' and called him the energy of the band.

He wrote, "Full of enthusiasm and creatively, KK was the energy of our band. Exceptionally talented, with a voice range unmatched, he was a natural singer. In college, he sang English songs, in Mumbai he shifted effortlessly to Hindi."

Gautam Chikermane mourned his dear friend's loss and was sure 'KK will live on' through his songs. He wrote, "I am certain that God will take his time listening to him before sending him back to us, in another body, carrying another voice. Souls don’t die. In KK’s case, voices don’t either. See you on the other side, my friend. Om Shanti."

KK death

The Dil Ibaadat singer breathed his last after his concert in Kolkata's Nazrul Mancha and was rushed to CMRI hospital. However, he was declared dead on arrival and the news took the internet by storm. Sources have informed Republic Media Network that an 'unnatural death' case has been filed in Kolkata. A case has also been registered against the hotel management, where the late star was staying.

Image: Twitter/@gchikermane, Facebook/@kk