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Star Bollywood Singer KK Dies after Concert at 53

Star Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath (C), popularly known as KK, died of a heart attack at age 53 after a concert Sujit Jaiswal AFP/File
Star Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath (C), popularly known as KK, died of a heart attack at age 53 after a concert Sujit Jaiswal AFP/File
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Star Bollywood Singer KK Dies after Concert at 53

Star Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath (C), popularly known as KK, died of a heart attack at age 53 after a concert Sujit Jaiswal AFP/File
Star Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath (C), popularly known as KK, died of a heart attack at age 53 after a concert Sujit Jaiswal AFP/File

Star Bollywood singer Krishnakumar Kunnath, popularly known as KK, died of a heart attack at age 53 after a concert, officials said Wednesday, prompting a flood of tributes.

"His songs reflected a wide range of emotions (and) struck a chord with people of all age groups," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Twitter.

"We will always remember him through his songs. Condolences to his family and fans," Modi wrote.

KK died shortly after performing at a packed concert in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, said Aroop Biswas, a government minister in the eastern state of West Bengal.

He was rushed to the hospital from his hotel around 10:30 pm, where doctors pronounced him dead, AFP said.

Born in Delhi, the versatile singer recorded songs in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Bengali, among other languages.

Like other playback singers in India who become stars in their own right, his songs were dubbed over in films, with the actors lip-synching along.

His hits from the 2000s included "Aankhon Me Teri" from the movie "Om Shanti Om" and "Khuda Jaane" from "Bachna Ae Haseeno."

"I cannot believe that such a talented artist left us this way. He had two back-to-back programs in Kolkata," music composer Anupam Roy told AFP.

Fans paid tribute on an Instagram post put up by his management on Tuesday with photos showing KK singing in front of a roaring crowd.

The post was accompanied by the caption "Pulsating gig tonight at Nazrul Mancha ... Love you all."

"Rest in peace legend, you will be always in our heart," wrote one user.

"You're gone too soon!!!!!!" commented another.

One of the Hindi songs that he sang at his last concert included "Pal" that has the lyrics "whether we live or not, we will remember this moment."

The Indian film industry has lost a string of luminaries in recent years, including superstar singer Lata Mangeshkar at 92 in February and veteran actor Dilip Kumar in 2021 at 98.

The year before India lost much-loved singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam as well as actors Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput.

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De Niro Says Hollywood Worried about 'Wrath of Trump'

Many people were too worried about the 'wrath of Trump' to speak out against him, said De Niro. Miguel MEDINA / AFP
Many people were too worried about the 'wrath of Trump' to speak out against him, said De Niro. Miguel MEDINA / AFP
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De Niro Says Hollywood Worried about 'Wrath of Trump'

Many people were too worried about the 'wrath of Trump' to speak out against him, said De Niro. Miguel MEDINA / AFP
Many people were too worried about the 'wrath of Trump' to speak out against him, said De Niro. Miguel MEDINA / AFP

Robert De Niro told AFP Wednesday that many in Hollywood share his views on US President Donald Trump -- whom he denounced at the Cannes film festival opening -- but the industry is worried about speaking out against him.

The 81-year-old, one of the most outspoken critics of the American leader, used his Tuesday evening speech to condemn him again, calling him a "philistine".

"They have big businesses, they have to worry about the wrath of Trump, and that's where they have to make a decision: do I succumb to that or do I say no?" he told AFP.

But he cited as an inspiration the example of some US universities and legal firms who have stood up to attempts from Trump's administration to cow them.

"It's important, because other people pick that up, they see that they're fighting, it gives them strength to fight, and they're inspired by that," he added.

"They say it is possible... that's what America is about."

After accepting an honorary Palme d'Or on Tuesday evening for his contribution to cinema, the "Taxi Driver" star called for resistance against Trump's agenda.

As well as calling the president a "philistine", De Niro slammed his desire to implement 100-percent tariffs on films "produced in foreign lands".

"You can't have apathy, you can't have silence," De Niro said on Wednesday.

"People have to speak up and they have to take chances and risk being harassed. You just can't let the bully win, period."

Documentary film

De Niro also revealed Wednesday that he has been working on a new personal film project with New York-based French artist JR, best known for his huge photographic collages.

The film will be an exploration of De Niro's family, particularly his father, a painter, and the actor has opened up his family archives including abundant family videos.

"I don't know where we'll go," he told an audience during an interview with JR in Cannes. "There's no time limit, as far as I'm concerned."

The pair revealed some of the first images of their work, which include huge photos of De Niro's father and a sequence in which De Niro can be seen lying on one of them while travelling on a barge in New York's harbor.

It also features an appearance from Martin Scorsese, who directed De Niro in some of his best-known movies including "Goodfellas" and "Raging Bull".

The film also sees De Niro reflect on his life and twilight years.

Asked if he was afraid of death, he replied: "I don't have a choice, so you might as well not be afraid of it."