Kunal Khemu

Last updated

Kunal Kemmu
Khemu Kunal.jpg
Khemu in 2014
Born
Kunal Ravi Kemmu

(1983-05-25) 25 May 1983 (age 41)
EducationN.L. Dalmia High School
Alma mater Narsee Monjee College
OccupationActor
Years active1987–present
Spouse
(m. 2015)
Children1
Relatives

Kunal Kemmu (born Kunal Ravi Kemmu; 25 May 1983) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema.

Contents

Early life and background

Kunal Ravi Kemmu was born on 25 May, 1983 in Srinagar, in the Kashmir Valley of the erstwhile Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, into a Kashmiri Pandit family to actors Ravi Kemmu and Jyoti Kemmu. [1] He is the older child to the couple and has a younger sister named Karishma Kemmu. He stayed in Srinagar in early years and got initial education from Burn Hall School, but his family had to shift to Jammu during their religious exodus after the Islamist insurgency erupted in Kashmir during the 1990s. Later, his family stayed in the suburban Mumbai neighborhood of Mira Road. He finished his schooling from N. L. Dalmia High School in Mira Road; and later attended Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics in Vile Parle for his further studies. He now lives in Khar, Mumbai.

His grandfather, Moti Lal Kemmu (original spelling of last name) is a Kashmiri playwright and a recipient of several awards by the government of Jammu and Kashmir: Rashtra Bhasa Prachar Samiti, Sahitya Akademi award in 1982 for his contribution to Kashmiri literature as a playwright and Padma Shri. [2]

Career

Kunal made his debut as a child actor appearing in the Doordarshan TV series Gul Gulshan Gulfaam (1987), directed by Ved Rahi. He made his film debut with Mahesh Bhatt's film Sir (film) (1993). He went on to star as a child artist in films including Raja Hindustani , Zakhm , Bhai , Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke , and Dushman.

He played the lead in the 2005 film Kalyug , which was directed by Mohit Suri. [3] Kalyug was based on the pornography industry. In 2007, his first release was Madhur Bhandarkar's Traffic Signal , where he played a street-smart money lender who lends money to poor families, but always gets it back with interest.

His second release of 2007 was Dhol in which he again played lead. In 2008, in his only release, Superstar , he featured in a double role. In 2009, he starred in Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge and Jai Veeru . In 2009, he appeared in the comic-thriller 99 . In 2010, he appeared in Golmaal 3 in which he played a supporting role as Laxman.

In 2012, he appeared in Mukesh Bhatt's Blood Money , in which played the lead role as Kunal Kadam, an honest and hard worker who is unknowingly taken into the dark side of Diamond Trade by his Boss. He co-starred in Go Goa Gone , a Zombie comedy film, which was released on 10 May 2013. Both the films fared well at the box office.

In 2015, after over a two-year break, Kunal returned to the screen with the thriller Bhaag Johnny about a man who gets to live two lives by the help of a Jinn, portrayed by director Vikram Bhatt. Though the film began shooting in 2013, it released on 25 September 2015 to mixed reviews and low box office collections.[ citation needed ] His second release of the same year was the comedy film Guddu Ki Gun , in which Kunal appears in the title role along with Sumeet Vyas. In 2017, he did a voice over in an animated film Hanuman: Da' Damdaar in role of Lord Indra. He also appeared in the fourth installment of Golmaal (film series) named Golmaal Again reprising his famous role of Laxman Sharma. He portrayed a noteworthy negative character in Malang and gained critical acclaim for his role in Kalank . [4]

Personal life

Khemu with his wife Soha Ali Khan at a party in 2016 Kunal n Soha.jpg
Khemu with his wife Soha Ali Khan at a party in 2016

Khemu was in a relationship with actress Soha Ali Khan since May 2009. [5] [6] The couple got engaged in July 2014 and got married in a private ceremony in Mumbai on 25 January 2015 in the presence of selected members of Soha's Family. Through his marriage to Khan, he is related to the Pataudi family. On 29 September 2017, Khan gave birth to their daughter Inaaya Naumi Khemu. [7] [8]

Discography

SongYearAlbumComposer
"Babaji Ki Booti"2013 Go Goa Gone Sachin–Jigar
"Hum Yahin"2024 Madgaon Express Ankur Tewari;
Kunal Khemu
"Bohot Bhaari" Sharib-Toshi

Filmography

Films

YearTitleRoleNotes
1993 Sir Kunal
Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke Sunny
1994 Naaraaz Sunny
1996 Raja Hindustani Rajnikant
1997 Tamanna Young Sajid
Bhai Kisna
1998 Zakhm Young Ajay
Dushman Bheem Bahadur Singh
Angaaray Young Amar
2005 Kalyug Kunal P. Darr
2007 Traffic Signal Silsila
Dhol Gautam Sisodia (Goti)
2008 Superstar Kunal Mehra / Karan Saxena
2009 Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge CA Anand Pawar
Jai Veeru Veeru / Veer Sharma
99 Sachin
2010 Golmaal 3 Laxman Sharma
2012 Blood Money Kunal Kadam
2013 Go Goa Gone HardikAlso written dialogues
2014 Mr Joe B. Carvalho HimselfCameo
HaircutHimselfShort film; cameo
2015 Bhaag Johnny Janardhan "Johnny" Arora
Guddu Ki Gun Gowardhan "Guddu" Prasad
2017 Hanuman: Da' Damdaar Lord Indra Voice
Poster Boys HimselfCameo
Golmaal Again Laxman Sharma
2018 Simmba HimselfCameo
2019 Kalank Abdul Khan
2020 Malang Michael Rodriguez
Lootcase Nandan Kumar
2023 Kanjoos Makhichoos Jamuna Prasad Pandey
2024 Madgaon Express Drug PeddlerCameo; also director and screenwriter

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987 Gul Gulshan Gulfaam Un­known
1989Chitra KathaienUn­knownEpisode: "Jhoot ka Aalam"
2010 FearFactor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 3 ContestantReality show
2019–2022 Abhay SP Abhay Pratap Singh3 seasons
2023 Pop Kaun? Sahil6 episodes
TBAGulkanda TalesTBAPost-production [9]

Awards and nominations

AwardYearCategoryNominated workResultRef.
Filmfare OTT Awards 2023 Best Actor: Comedy Pop Kaun? Nominated [10]
Screen Awards 1998Best Child Artist Zakhm Won [11]
2014Best Dialogue Go Goa Gone Nominated [12]
Best Performance in a Comic Role - MaleNominated
Stardust Awards 2006Superstar of Tomorrow - Male Kalyug Won

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharmila Tagore</span> Indian actress (born 1944)

Sharmila Tagore is an Indian actress primarily known for her work in Hindi and Bengali films. Regarded among the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, Tagore is a recipient of two National Film Awards, a Filmfare Award and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to Hindi cinema. In 2013, the Government of India, honoured her with Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian honour for her contributions to Indian culture through performing arts.

<i>Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke</i> 1993 Indian film

Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke is a 1993 Indian romantic comedy-drama film, directed by Mahesh Bhatt and produced by Tahir Hussain, with screenplay written by Aamir Khan and Robin Bhatt, and with a musical score by Nadeem-Shravan. It stars Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in the lead roles, with Sharokh Bharucha and Kunal Khemu in supporting roles. Upon release, the film received positive reviews from critics, with particular praise directed towards Chawla's performance, for which she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress at the 39th Filmfare Awards. The film has also garnered the National Film Award – Special Jury Award / Special Mention, and the Filmfare Award for Best Film. The film was remade in Telugu as Bhale Maavayya starring Suman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arshad Warsi</span> Indian actor (born 1970)

Arshad Hussain Warsi is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi films. He is the recipient of several awards including a Filmfare Award from five nominations and is noted for acting in varied film genres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soha Ali Khan</span> Indian film actress (born 1978)

Soha Ali Khan Pataudi is an Indian actress who has worked in Hindi, Bengali and English films. She is the younger daughter of veteran actress Sharmila Tagore and former India cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan, of Bhopal, and the younger sister of actor Saif Ali Khan and Saba Ali Khan. She started her acting career with the romantic comedy film Dil Maange More (2004), and is best known for her role in the drama film Rang De Basanti (2006). In 2017, she authored a book The Perils of Being Moderately Famous that won the Crossword Book Award in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emraan Hashmi</span> Indian actor

Emraan Anwar Hashmi is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema. Born into the Bhatt family, he began his career an assistant director on the horror film Raaz (2002). He made his acting debut with the crime film Footpath (2003), and achieved his breakthrough for his starring role in the erotic thriller Murder (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burn Hall School</span> Missionary school in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Burn Hall School is an all boys missionary school in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. Its motto is "Industria Floremus - In Toil We Flourish" . It is one of the oldest schools in the valley. The school celebrated its Diamond Jubilee in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raj Zutshi</span> Indian actor

Rajendranath Zutshi, is an Indian film and television actor.

<i>Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge</i> 2009 Indian film

Dhoondte Reh Jaoge is a 2009 Indian comedy film directed by Umesh Shukla and produced by UTV Motion Pictures. The film stars Kunal Khemu, Paresh Rawal, Sonu Sood, Soha Ali Khan, Dilip Joshi and Johnny Lever. It was released on 6 March 2009 in India, and 20 March 2009, in the United States. The film is directed by Umesh Shukla and produced by Ronnie Screwvala. The music was composed by duo Sajid–Wajid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kunal Deshmukh</span> Indian film director and restaurateur

Kunal Deshmukh is an Indian film director and restaurateur. He grew up in Mumbai, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandeepa Dhar</span> Indian actress

Sandeepa Dhar is an Indian actress who appears in Hindi films and Web series. She made her acting debut in 2010 with Isi Life Mein. For her performance in the film, she was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, Star Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer and Stardust Award for Superstar of Tomorrow. Dhar did a cameo in Dabangg 2. Dhar also received critical acclaim for her performance in Sajid Nadiadwala's hit film Heropanti.

<i>Blood Money</i> (2012 film) 2012 Indian crime thriller film directed by Vishal Mahadkar

Blood Money is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Vishal Mahadkar and produced by Mahesh Bhatt. The film stars Kunal Khemu, Amrita Puri and Manish Chaudhari in lead roles with Teeshay Shah and Puja Gupta in other important roles.

<i>Kalyug</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Mohit Suri

Kalyug is a 2005 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Mukesh Bhatt. It introduces actor Kunal Khemu, in his debut film as an adult actor. It also stars Emraan Hashmi, Smilie Suri, Deepal Shaw, Amrita Singh and Ashutosh Rana. The film follows a young man who sets out to exact revenge upon the porn industry after his wife commits suicide due to the footage of their first night getting released on internet by some people in the hotel.

<i>Bhaag Johnny</i> 2015 film by Shivam Nair

Bhaag Johnny is a 2015 Indian Hindi language Bollywood thriller film directed by Shivam Nair, and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vikram Bhatt and Ajay Kapoor. The film stars Kunal Khemu, Mandana Karimi and Zoa Morani in leading roles. It was released on 25 September 2015.

<i>Mr Joe B. Carvalho</i> 2013 Indian film by Samir Tewari

Mr Joe B. Carvalho is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language comedy film which released on 3 January 2014. The film is directed by Samir Tewari, and produced by Shital Malviya and Bhola Ram Malviya. The film stars Arshad Warsi, Soha Ali Khan, Javed Jaffrey and Vijay Raaz. The first teaser of the film was released on 17 November 2013. The film also has guest appearances by Geeta Basra, Mahika Sharma and Karishma Kotak. Singer Babul Supriyo debuts in the film by playing a cameo. The movie's title itself is a word play for the Hindi phrase Jo bhi karwa lo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kashmiri cinema</span>

Kashmiri cinema is the Kashmiri language-based film industry in the Kashmir Valley of the India,- administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The first Kashmiri feature film, Mainz Raat, was released in 1964. In 2023, Welcome to Kashmir, directed by Tariq Bhat, became the first-ever Kashmiri-produced Bollywood film to release in Kashmiri cinemas.

Sunny Moza is an Indian actor who made his debut with the TV series Bhabhi (2004) and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi (2004). He is known for his performance as the lead actor in the Bollywood music video "Ab Laut Aa" (2013) and as the TV host in the reality show Dance USA Dance (2017). His notable roles as an actor include the films Kurse (2008), According to Plan A (2012), Yellow (2015), Babru (2019) and Songs of Silence (2020).

<i>Abhay</i> (TV series) Indian web series

Abhay is a ZEE5 Original Indian Hindi-language psychological crime thriller web series. Produced by B. P. Singh under Fiction Factory Productions, and directed by Ken Ghosh, the series marks the digital debut of Bollywood actor Kunal Khemu, who stars alongside Elnaaz Norouzi, Sandeepa Dhar and Namit Das. The series revolves around officer Abhay Pratap Singh, an investigating officer with the mind of a criminal, who can go to any extent to solve a case. The first season comprised eight episodes and was released on ZEE5 on 7 February 2019.

Ashwath Bhatt is an Indian film actor. He is known for his roles in IB71, Mission Majnu, Sita Ramam,Raaz Reboot, Rakkhosh, RaaziPhantom, Kesari, and Haider.

References

  1. "Kunal Khemu is sad that Srinagar in on news for bloodshed". Daily News and Analysis . 3 March 2009. Archived from the original on 14 April 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2010.
  2. "Kashmiri Playwrights". Ikashmir.net. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  3. Subhash K Jha (21 December 2005). "Kunal Khemu: Child grows up". Sify . Archived from the original on 18 December 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  4. "Kunal Khemu does cameo in Mr Joe B. Carvalho | Bollywood News | Hindi Movies News | News". Bollywood Hungama . 12 December 2013. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  5. "Soha Ali khan: Living-in with Kunal Khemu is like being married". Movies.ndtv.com. 9 May 2013. Archived from the original on 30 July 2013. Retrieved 21 August 2013.
  6. "Spotted: Soha Ali Khan with beau Kunal Khemu". Mid-day.com. 8 October 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  7. "Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Khemu get engaged". The Hindu. 24 July 2014. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  8. "Soha Ali Khan Marries Kunal Khemu, Saif-Kareena Play Hosts - NDTV Movies". Movies.ndtv.com. 25 January 2015. Archived from the original on 25 January 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  9. "Gulkanda Tales to Heeramandi: Web series you shouldn't miss in 2024". India Today. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  10. "Nominations for the Filmfare OTT Awards 2023: Full list out". 22 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  11. "Awards winner". 22 October 1999. Archived from the original on 22 October 1999.
  12. "Kunal Kemmu". Bollywood Hungama . 25 March 2021.