Last Updated:January 15, 2026, 20:23 IST

Shaan remembers KK as a private, disciplined artist whose voice was at its peak when he passed away, sharing personal stories of their long friendship and music.

Shaan opens up on KK’s death.

Indian music lost one of its most loved voices on May 31, 2022, when playback singer KK passed away after suffering a heart attack. Even years later, the loss continues to feel personal for many in the industry. Singer Shaan, who shared a close professional and personal bond with KK, recently spoke about him in a heartfelt conversation on the Maniesh Paul podcast. Shaan said KK was the singer he collaborated with the most in his career. Their partnership went far beyond studio recordings and included stage shows, travel, and long hours spent together.

Remembering those years, Shaan said, “I mean, he was in top form, and his voice was at its peak at that point. He was gone too soon, and we lost out on his voice so much. Of course I was very close to him. I think I have sung the most amount of duets with him, more than Shreya Ghoshal, Sunidhi Chauhan or Alka Yagnik. We did over 20 songs together, and at least a dozen of them have been superhit songs. Not just songs, but we have done a lot of shows together, and we travelled together a lot as well.”

Beyond music, Shaan spoke about KK’s simple and private lifestyle. He described him as someone who stayed away from parties and preferred spending time with family. “Every time I would look at him, I would think, ‘Mujhe iske jaisa banna hai (I want to be like him).’ The singer added that while he enjoyed socialising, KK was the opposite and rarely stepped out unless it was for work.

Sharing a light moment, Shaan said, “He has only attended two parties, and both of them were at my house. Even when you used to call him for TV, it was very difficult to get him out. He just wanted to be in his comfort zone.”

What made KK’s sudden death even more shocking was how carefully he lived his life. Shaan revealed, “KK didn’t smoke or drink. He never used to have heavy food and had no problems with cholesterol. He used to do swimming and yoga, so he would be the last person you would ever expect to have a heart attack.”

He also mentioned that KK did not usually take on too many shows and had only agreed to back-to-back college concerts because they were in the same city.