Striking it lucky

Actor Kunal Khemu, who started his Bollywood career as a hero with Kalyug in which he got a taste of some action by flexing his muscles and punching the bad guys, says he would like to do more action films that would give him an adrenaline rush.

“I love action films because I have grown up seeing some of the brilliant movies of the genre like Ghatak, Ghayal, Shiva. Watching people doing such stunts had always mesmerised me and fascinated me to think that I should also do such things if I become a hero,” he says.

Kunal says that he finally realised his dream when he got to do some action as a hero in Kalyug.
“When I became a hero one day I tasted action in the first film Kalyug —it was a great feeling, like living my dream but then after that I did various roles that did not demand me to do some serious action. However, deep within me, I want to do action films, enjoy the stunts and sweat it out with some adrenaline rush,” says the actor.

Kunal, who started his film career as a child actor, is happy with the offers he has been getting. “I started as a nobody in this industry and today I can say that I have made some sort of a name for myself,” he says, adding, “With some many talented people around, it is difficult to cut through competition and stand out.” At this point, the actor finally admits that he has been lucky to strike it big in Bollywood. “I have been lucky to have got big offers like Kalyug, Traffic Signal or Dhol. The films I have done so far have given me a lot of recognition. As an actor you want to satisfy your audiences and I hope I have done that so far,” Kunal affirms. Kunal is currently shooting for two films - Jai Veeru - a comedy that revolves around the story of two friends and Dhoondte Rahe Jaoge. We probed whether Jai Veeru has a Sholay connection by any chance?

“The title is a tribute to the iconic friendship that people got to see in the film Sholay. It signifies that the two characters in the movie will be inseparable no matter what comes their way. I play Veeru,” he ends.

Kunal started off as a child actor...
Kunal Khemu was born in Srinagar and started his career as a child actor in the television serial Gul Gulshan Gulfam in 1987.
He went on to appear as a child actor in films such as Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke (1993) Raja Hindustani (1995) and Zakhm (1998).
He received praise from critics for his role in Zakhm.
He made his debut as a leading man in the 2005 film Kalyug.