Today, Kunal Kemmu has carved a niche for himself in the industry with his distinctive brand of comedy and has emerged as one of Bollywood’s most original filmmakers. But long before he stepped behind the camera, Kemmu was a popular child actor who appeared in several successful films in the early 1990s. A significant part of his early career was shaped by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who directed him in some of his most memorable roles and later gave him his first major break as an adult actor.
However, Bhatt was also involved in what Kemmu now describes as the “worst deal” he ever made. In a recent interview, the actor-filmmaker looked back at his childhood years in the film industry and recalled an amusing incident from the making of ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’.
Kunal Kemmu’s role in ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’
Released in 1993, ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’, directed by Mahesh Bhatt, starred Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in the lead roles. Kemmu appeared in the film as a child artist alongside Ashrafa and Sharokh Bharucha.
At the time, Kemmu was just seven years old and already balancing school with his acting commitments.
Kunal Kemmu recalls missing his school picnic
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Kemmu recalled how his school picnic happened to clash with the film’s shooting schedule. At seven, he was understandably more excited about spending the day with his classmates than reporting to the film set.
Recalling the situation, Kemmu said Bhatt asked his father how they would manage the shoot because the child actor had a scene scheduled the following day. His father, however, left the decision to the filmmaker and the family.
“I was all of 7. It was very weird because Bhatt sahab asked my dad how he would do this shoot, as he has a scene tomorrow. My dad just told him, ‘I am not getting into this. You guys can settle this yourselves’,” Kemmu recalled.
Kunal Kemmu reveals how Mahesh Bhatt ‘bribed’ him
Kemmu said Bhatt eventually found a way to convince him to skip the picnic. The filmmaker asked what he could give the young actor in exchange for staying back, and Kemmu had a simple demand — a Samurai video game that was popular at the time.
“I got bribed. There used to be this Samurai video game that was popular. He asked me, ‘What can I do for you, what can I get you that you won’t go?’ I said I don’t have a video game, so he got me that video game,” he said.
But the deal quickly turned into a regret for the young Kemmu. Despite getting the video game, he still had to watch his classmates leave for the picnic from his home.
Kemmu recalled, “It was the worst deal I made because my school was visible from my home, and the next morning I could see the bus getting full with kids, and they waved at me, asking, ‘Tu nahi aa raha (You aren’t coming?)’.”
Kunal Kemmu’s journey from child actor to filmmaker
Kemmu had already appeared in films such as ‘Sir’ before ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’. He went on to feature in several projects as a child actor, including ‘Zakhm’, which earned him recognition for his performances.
His transition into adult roles came with the 2005 film ‘Kalyug’, produced by Mahesh Bhatt. Nearly two decades later, Kemmu made his directorial debut with ‘Madgaon Express’ in 2024, establishing a new chapter in his career behind the camera.
