Kunal Khemu, a talented child artist who played memorable roles in Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke, Raja Hindustani and Zakhm, has matured into a confident leading actor.
He made his debut as the lead actor in Mahesh Bhatt's Kalyug. The film was a success and won Khemu critical acclaim. He followed it up with another acclaimed act in Madhur Bhandarkar's Traffic Signal and was last seen in Priyadarshan's comic flick, Dhol.
Khemu is all set to have his biggest release so far with Superstar. This film showcases him in a double role and co-stars Tulip Joshi (of Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi and Matrubhoomi fame).
Excerpts from an interview:
Are you satisfied with the way your career has shaped?
I can't complain at all. I think I am blessed to have had such a good start to my acting career. God has been kind to me.
Nowadays it's tough to get a break in this highly competitive industry but I have managed to get some very good films. I am happy with the films I have done so far and thankfully the audiences have responded positively to my performances. So it's been a fabulous journey.
Do you carefully plan to do only those films that you think will click with the audience?
I think nobody in the industry can guarantee success 100 per cent. If the actors knew what would work and what not, none would have flops. I was lucky to get such films initially.
I cannot plan my work as I have to take it as it comes. I basically do films purely based on the stories I like and visualise whether the audience also would like to see such a film. So I go ahead with my new project based on such thoughts.
What's your new film Superstar about?
Superstar is my first Bollywood masala film, if you could call it that. It is about Kunal, a dreamer and wannabe actor who is longing to star in a big film. But the reality is that he is a struggling actor dancing in back rows and being part of stunt team. Just when he is all set to get his big break he bumps into his look-alike called Karan, who is a rich producer's son and a playboy.
Basically the plot deals with how these two characters' lives intertwine to realise their dreams. The film, in a nutshell, is about dreams.
How did you prepare for the first double role of your career?
I was preparing myself to play the double role by enacting these two look-alike characters differently. They are not brothers nor do they have any reincarnation connection and they look the same purely by coincidence.
So I worked on two different hairstyles with different costumes. I ensured each character had its own personality, body language and temperament. So I have tried my best to give two different shades to my double role and now I leave it to the audience to pass judgement.
The film's title is Superstar. Are you announcing your super stardom?
I don't think we want to make any personal statement with the film's title. Actually we didn't have a title for three months after the film was completed and we came up with Superstar only when we felt it was apt for the film's subject. The title actually stresses the message of the film: Anyone can become a superstar.
What next?
I am doing a film for UTV called Ghoomte Reh Jaaoge which co stars Soha Ali Khan and Paresh Rawal. It is a comedy and should be ready by the end of this year.
New kid on the block
Kunal Khemu, once a child artist himself, on Darsheel Safary, the young star of Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par:
"I think Darsheel has done a fantastic job and he deserves every accolade coming his way. The way the entire country has responded to his performance as a child artist is an acknowledgement of his immense talent.
"I think Aamir Khan has made a brilliant film with Tare Zameen Par and he really knows how to work with kids, as I had very good experience working with him in Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke and Raja Hindustani when I was a child artist."
