Long before Kunal Kemmu became known for films such as Kalyug, Go Goa Gone, Lootcase and Madgaon Express, he was a six-year-old boy in Srinagar who had little interest in becoming an actor. His first brush with the camera happened almost by accident, when he began accompanying his parents to the sets of the Doordarshan serial Gul Gulshan Gulfaam. Years later, Kemmu would describe himself as an “accidental actor”. Kunal has also spoken about growing up during a period of unrest in the Kashmir Valley, remembering explosions, stone-pelting and the anxiety that surrounded his family.

Kunal’s father, who trained at the National School of Drama, largely worked as a director and had assisted Shyam Benegal on projects including The Discovery of India. He also directed the television series Amrapali and worked on shows and films including Dekh Bhai Dekh, Zubeidaa and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero. His mother acted in the Doordarshan serial Gul Gulshan Gulfaam.

Kunal Kemmu’s acting debut

In an earlier interview with Outlook, Kunal recalled that his parents were working on Gul Gulshan Gulfaam, which was being shot in Srinagar.

Story continues below.
Subscribe to see fewer ads.

“I think I was an accidental actor then. I didn’t have any kind of ambition at the age of 6 or 7. It so happened that I saw my parents kind of working and they were doing a show called Gul Gulshan Gulfaam. Even before that I had gone to a couple of film sets and had seen that my dad kind of worked in new sets and I had seen people in costumes. I never had the interest…I was too scared of going in front of the camera or do anything.”

One day, the show’s director asked Kunal if he wanted to appear on television, and that is how he ended up in front of the camera.

From Gul Gulshan Gulfaam to Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke

About a year and a half later, Kemmu and his parents moved to Bombay. The same director was working on another Doordarshan show and approached the family about casting him. Soon, another opportunity followed when someone from the casting team of Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke noticed his earlier work.

Story continues below this ad

“Somebody from the casting team of ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’ must have seen that and they reached out to my dad and he again asked me if I wanted to do it. I said ‘sure’. So, that’s how it happened.”

For Kunal, acting was simply something he enjoyed doing.

“When I was doing it, I was enjoying and it was like a hobby. I liked the idea of watching a movie on the 70 mm screen and I was also there. And then when I saw people laughing at what I was saying in ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’, it kind of made me feel good.”

Kunal Kemmu in a still from Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke.

Zakhm changed Kunal Kemmu’s view of acting

While Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke established Kunal as a child actor, he has said Zakhm made him seriously consider acting as a career. He was in Class 10 and initially wanted to focus on studies.

In a 2020 interview with , he recalled, “When Mahesh Bhatt approached me for Zakhm (1998), I wanted to turn it down as I was in my 10th grade and wanted to focus on studies. He said that he would not make the film if I am not a part of it, and that’s when I changed my mind.”

Story continues below this ad

After Zakhm, Kunal took a five-year break from films and pursued theatre during college.

“Post Zakhm, I told him that I wanted to take a break from acting as I wasn’t sure if I should continue being an actor. He understood my sentiments and said that if ever I wanted to be an actor I should contact him. For the next five years, I did theatre in college. I wanted to give movies a shot and so I met Bhatt saab again. Within six months he offered me Kalyug (2005).”

Kunal Kemmu’s childhood in Kashmir

Kunal Kemmu has often recalled growing up in Srinagar during a period of unrest. Speaking to ANI in an earlier chat, he said he remembers the experience through the eyes of a six-year-old who did not fully understand what was happening.

“It’s from the perspective of a six-year-old. And that’s how I saw it. I remember the great things about Srinagar – my school, going to Dal Lake with the family, or going to Pahalgam. And then I remember them being stressed. Because as a six-year-old, you don’t really know what’s happening. And your parents and family are trying to protect you as much as they can. But you still hear about things, right?” he said.

He recalled how loud sounds could immediately trigger uncertainty.

Story continues below this ad

“I remember there used to be this thing… that if you heard a loud sound, there was always this confusion if a cylinder had blasted or a bomb.”

Kunal Kemmu in a still from Zakhm.

One of his most frightening memories was a blast beneath his home while he was playing cards with his cousin.

“And then to top it all, the one harsh experience I remember was a blast below our house while we were inside. I remember sitting and playing cards with my cousin. We were playing a game called Bluff. And all of a sudden, I just remember being thrown off. You couldn’t hear anything. I just remember seeing smoke and glass shatter. But it was all visual. I remember it was like a film scene. I remember going upside down and seeing all of that. And then there was just darkness. My memories after that are of waking up at some point.”

He also remembered watching stone-pelting incidents and the Army arriving, without understanding what was happening.

Story continues below this ad

“And there were times in Nawakadal, also, sometimes when, you know, stone pelting would start and then the army would come. And I remember my other cousin and I would look through the windows and not understand what was transpiring.”

Kunal said his family eventually left for Mumbai, while he remained largely sheltered from the reasons behind the unrest.

“So for me, what happened is after that, and after we left and came to Mumbai, not knowing that we wouldn’t be going back, we were still trying to figure it out. I think our parents kind of did an amazing job of sheltering us from it. But at six and seven, you always heard people talk about it,” he added.

He said he consciously avoided asking questions about the conflict because he knew it was something that had deeply affected the adults around him.

Story continues below this ad

“And you saw people getting emotional about it and stressed about it. And you knew something was wrong. I think somewhere, as a kid, I kind of wanted to block that out. So I think somewhere, I kind of built that wall to not ask those questions,” he further said.

Kunal Kemmu’s career

Kunal made his debut as a lead star with Kalyug in 2005. He went on to appear in films including Traffic Signal, Dhol, Go Goa Gone, Golmaal 3, Blood Money, Kya Kool Hain Hum 3, Kalank, Malang and Lootcase.

Kunal Kemmu in a still from Kalyug.

He made his directorial debut with Madgaon Express in 2024. The film, which he also wrote, starred Divyenndu, Pratik Gandhi and Avinash Tiwary and received positive responses.

In 2026, Kemmu returned to the director’s chair with Vibe, a comedy starring him alongside Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava.

Story continues below this ad