Bollywood actor and director Kunal Kemmu is making headlines with his movie ‘Madgaon Express’. He spoke exclusively to ‘Navbharat Times’ about his wife, family, and work. He talked about how Soha Ali Khan supports him and also shared about his daughter Inaaya.
Highlights
- Actor Kunal Kemmu has made his directorial debut with ‘Madgaon Express’.
- Kunal Kemmu mentioned receiving much appreciation for his film.
- Kunal Kemmu talked openly about his daughter and wife Soha Ali Khan.
Kunal Kemmu’s work as a lead actor has been commendable. From being a child artist to becoming a hero, Kunal has worked in many films like ‘Traffic Signal’, ‘Golmaal 3’, ‘Go Goa Gone’, ‘Kalank’, ‘Lootcase’, among others. But these days, he is in the limelight for his directorial debut ‘Madgaon Express’. He had a special interview with us.
Your wife Soha (actress Soha Ali Khan) is also from the film industry, how much support did she provide, and what was her reaction to your film ‘Madgaon Express’?
- Generally, she has always been very supportive. This time also, I received a lot of love and support, but sometimes you feel like your family is praising you just to make you happy. This time whenever I screened the film, she would sit through the entire movie. I used to tell her that it’s not necessary to watch the entire film, but she genuinely enjoyed it. She liked the film. She told me that she is enjoying it even in repeat viewings. My family has also watched the film two or three times, so this time the audience and family’s reaction to the film is similar.
How does Soha complete you?
- I would say that if life is a house, then Soha has made it a home for me. I think this is a part of your partnership in love. When you are single, your life is different, but when you get married, that unit works only when you find physical, mental, and emotional comfort with each other, and Soha fulfills all these aspects. She’s also the reason for my understanding nature.
Being a father to daughter Inaaya, how much has it matured you?
- What can I say about this, it’s for others to see how much I have matured. You learn from every relationship. That’s where maturity comes from. My daughter will always be a part of my life. She brings positivity into our lives.
Talking about your career, your start as a child artist, do you think transitioning from a child artist to a lead artist poses a challenge?
- It’s been quite some time since this question has been asked of me. I haven’t thought much about it. But I will say this, if you start your career as a child artist, you develop a relationship with the audience. They see you as a child. But as you grow up, your voice changes, and you undergo transformation, then taking a break becomes necessary. That’s why I took a break for six years after childhood. But sometimes it also happens that the audience can’t see you as a lead artist. They still perceive you as a child artist.
After acting, you ventured into writing and directing with ‘Madgaon Express’. What was your thought process while making the film?
- When I wrote this film, nobody told me to do it. I wrote it from my heart. I only shared the script with Soha and a couple of friends. I didn’t even know about it. I just had the time, and I kept writing the story. I enjoyed writing it. I was laughing while writing it. But after writing it, for many years, I didn’t tell anyone because I felt embarrassed about what people might think. Eventually, the producers got to know about it, and they suggested that I should direct the film. Then I felt that I should seize this opportunity because nobody has any expectations from me, and I don’t know how entertaining the film will be. I said before the release that if I get applause, I’ll accept it graciously, and if I get criticism, I’ll take it in stride. Now I’m happy that people liked the film, and I received applause.
Was casting actors like Pratik Gandhi, Divyenndu, and Avinash Tiwary instead of big stars a risky move for your directorial debut?
- Everything was risky. Writing the script, becoming a director. But when we talk about big stars, they became big stars from some film. They weren’t born stars. They won’t give chances to new talents, then how will stars be made? Then it was necessary for me to cast actors who can do justice to these characters, who are talented and come with their fresh energy. Today, the definition of stars also keeps changing. There are many types of stars, superstars, mega stars, blockbuster stars, etc., which are beyond my understanding. I just wish that these actors receive love and can fit into the definition of that so-called star in the future. Otherwise, for me, they are already stars.
You suddenly met Nora Fatehi and fans were delighted to see you at the screening of ‘Madgaon Express’. What are your thoughts on social media?
- Social media is like a drug. You can see it as medicine or as an addiction. I’m not saying that you should completely stay away from social media. You just need to be careful not to get addicted to it. You have to take responsibility for it because if you don’t log out, it becomes an addiction, and you get stuck in its quagmire. We are still fortunate to have seen the earlier era of social media, but today’s generation is born into it, so we have to tell them that their self-esteem doesn’t depend on this app or social media. Handling this drug is crucial because it’s not going anywhere, so we have to prevent social media from becoming a social sheep.
Your film is about friendship. How important are friends in your life?
- You can choose your friends, and once you choose friends, you have to bear some (laughs). My film is about childhood friends, so I also believe that when you are with childhood friends, you become kids again. They ground you. You don’t feel ashamed in front of them because they understand you. My school and area friends are still in touch, although I can’t meet them for months, but when I do, it takes seconds to connect. In my childhood friends, there are many like Rahil, Rehan, Ashwin, Niyamat, etc.