Kolkata: Bollywood playback singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, who was in Kolkata for a concert, died yesterday (May 31). He was 53.

The singer collapsed at the hotel where he was staying after the concert in Kolkata’s Nazrul Mancha auditorium. Doctors at Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) Hospital said the singer was brought dead.

KK was known for songs like ‘Pal’ and ‘Yaaron,’ which went on to become big hits among teens in the late 1990s, often heard during school and college farewells and teen cultural events.

His 1999 debut album ‘Pal’ was critically acclaimed. From the early 2000s, he blazed a career in playback singing and recorded a wide range of popular songs for Bollywood films. KK has recorded songs in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali, among other languages.

Regarded as one of the top singers of Bollywood, KK sang numerous hit songs in various films. Some of his most popular songs include Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai  from Gangster, Tadap Tadap Ke Is Dil Se from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Awarapan Banjarapan from Jism, Aankhon Mein Teri Ajab Si from Om Shanti Om and Khuda Jaane  from the movie Bachna Ae Haseeno. His song Yaaron, released in 1999, made him a household name.

West Bengal Government has decided to give the singer gun salute at Kolkata Airport.

The cause of the singer’s death remains unknown and a post-mortem report is expected soon. Police have registered a case of unnatural death, sources said.

Expressing his condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said ‘KK’s songs reflected a wide range of emotions, has struck a chord with people of all age groups.”

Tributes poured in from across the world as fans said goodbye to the singer who was the voice for their many emotions.