Kunal Kemmu is now regarded as one of the industry’s most original comedy filmmakers, which makes it hard to picture him as the outspoken, lovable kid actor who made his mark in several hit films of the early ’90s. Much of that early journey was shaped by Mahesh Bhatt, who directed some of his most memorable performances as a child star and later gave him his first big break as an adult actor. Yet Bhatt was also part of what Kunal has described as the worst deal he ever made. In a recent interview, Kunal reflected on his early days in the industry, recalling a particular incident from the making of ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’.
Kunal Kemmu’s role in ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’
Released in 1993 and helmed by Mahesh Bhatt, ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’ featured Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla as the leading pair. Kunal took on a child artist role in the film, sharing screen space with Ashrafa and Sharokh Bharucha.
Kunal Kemmu on missing his school picnic
Talking to Hindustan Times, Kunal shared that his school’s picnic clashed with the film’s shooting schedule, and being just seven years old at the time, he was far more interested in joining his classmates for the outing than showing up on set. “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’,” he recalled.
Kunal Kemmu reveals how he was bribed
The actor revealed that the director ultimately won him over by offering something he couldn’t resist, essentially ‘bribing’ him to skip the picnic. He explained, “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.”However, Kunal considers it the ‘worst deal he ever made,’ since even after receiving the game, he still had to watch his classmates head off for the picnic without him. “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 early career and later achievements
Before ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’, Kunal had already featured in ‘Sir’, and he continued to take on child roles in films like ‘Zakhm’, which brought him recognition for his acting. His shift to lead roles came in 2005 with ‘Kalyug’, produced by Mahesh Bhatt, and years later, in 2024, he stepped into direction with his debut film ‘Madgaon Express’.