Kunal Khemu (born Kunal Ravi Kemmu; 25 May 1983) is an Indian actor who works in Hindi cinema.
Early life and background
Kunal Ravi Kemmu was born in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India on 25 May 1983 into a Kashmiri Pandit family to actors Ravi Kemmu & Jyoti Kemmu. 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 shifted to Jammu after the Insurgency in Kashmir during the 1990s, for being a Kashmiri Hindu. Later, his family stayed in Mira Road area of Mumbai, Maharashtra. He finished his schooling from N. L. Dalmia High School in Mira Road; and later attended SVKM’s Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics in Vile Parle for his further studies. He now lives in Khar, Mumbai.
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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.
Personal life
Khemu was in a relationship with actress Soha Ali Khan Pataudi since May 2013. 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.
Kunal Khemu Age Girlfriend Wife Family Biography
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Kunal Khemu |
| Nickname | Chotu |
| Profession | Actor |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 168 cm in meters– 1.68 m in feet inches– 5’ 6” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 65 kg in pounds– 143 lbs |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | – Chest: 40 inches – Waist: 30 inches – Biceps: 15 inches |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Black |
| Career | |
| Debut | Film (As a Child Actor): Sir (1993) Film (As a Lead Actor): Kalyug (2005) TV: Gul Gulshan Gulfaam (1987) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 25 May 1983 (Wednesday) |
| Age (as of 2023) | 40 Years |
| Birthplace | Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, India |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Taurus |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mumbai, India |
| School | Niranjanlal Dalmia High School, Mumbai |
| College/University | Amity University, Noida |
| Educational Qualification | Graduation |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Brahmin (Kashmiri Pandit) |
| Food Habit | Non-Vegetarian |
| Address | A flat at Sunder Villa near Linking Road, Khar, Mumbai |
| Hobbies | Travelling, Cooking |
| Tattoo | • A Lord Shiva Tattoo on his leg • Inscription Om Namah Shivaya on his back |
| Controversies | • In 2014, he tattooed ‘Lord Shiva’ on his leg, which received criticism on social media. Later, he defended himself saying that he just wanted to express his devotion and not to “disrespect god.” • In 2016, there was a strong buzz that his married life with Soha is in trouble. But Kunal slammed such rumours and made it clear that they are together. |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Affairs/Girlfriends | Soha Ali Khan (Actress) |
| Marriage Date | January 25, 2015 |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Soha Ali Khan (Actress, m. 2015-present) |
| Children | Son– None Daughter– Inaaya Naumi Kemmu |
| Parents | Father– Ravi Kemmu (Actor) Mother– Jyoti Kemmu |
| Siblings | Brother– None Sister– Karishma Khemu |
| Other Relatives | Grandfather– Moti Lal Kemmu (Playwright) Father-in-Law– Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (Former Cricketer) Mother-in-Law– Sharmila Tagore (Former Actress) Brother-in-Law– Saif Ali Khan (Actor) Sister-in-Law– Kareena Kapoor (Actress) |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Food(s) | Rogan Josh, Creme Brulee, Chinese cuisine, Sizzler |
| Favourite Actor(s) | Ajay Devgan, Johnny Depp |
| Favourite Actress | Kareena Kapoor |
| Favourite Film(s) | Bollywood– Andaz Apna Apna, Deewaar, Namak Halaal, Shahenshah, Omkara Hollywood– The Matrix |
| Favourite Director(s) | Anurag Kashyap, Sanjay Leela Bhansali |
| Favourite Sports | Cricket, Football |
| Favourite Cricketer(s) | Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni, Ricky Ponting, Andrew Flintoff |
| Favourite Football Team(s) | Brazil, Argentina, Manchester United, Real Madrid |
| Favourite Colour | Black |
| Favourite Restaurant(s) | Mainland China, Yokos, in Mumbai |
| Favourite Destination(s) | London, Greece |
| Style Quotient | |
| Car Collection | Volkswagen Touareg |
| Bike Collection | MV AGUSTA 1090 |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary (approx.) | ₹1-2 crore/film |
| Net Worth (approx.) | $3 million |
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 movie Sir (film) (1993). He went on to star as a child artist in movies including Raja Hindustani, Zakhm, Bhai, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, and Dushman.
He played the male lead in the 2005 film Kalyug, which was directed by Mohit Suri. 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. 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 .
ZEE5 team will go on the release the Abhay Season 2 in September 2020 and the streaming will be in October 2020. Kunal Khemu playing main role in this web series. This series directed by Ken Ghosh. He will return as the investigating officer in Season 3 as well.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Sir | Kunal | Film Debut (Child actor) |
| Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke | Sunny | ||
| 1994 | Naaraaz | Sunny | |
| 1996 | Raja Hindustani | Rajnikant | |
| 1997 | Tamanna | Young Sajid | |
| Bhai | Kisna | ||
| 1998 | Zakhm | Young Ajay | Screen Award for Best Child Artist |
| Dushman | Bheem Bahadur Singh | ||
| Angaaray | Young Amar | ||
| 2005 | Kalyug | Kunal P. Darr | Film Debut (Lead actor) |
| 2007 | Traffic Signal | Silsila | |
| Dhol | Gautam Sisodia (Goti) | ||
| 2008 | Superstar | Kunal Mehra / Karan Saxena (Twins) | |
| 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 | Hardik | |
| 2014 | Mr Joe B. Carvalho | Himself | Special appearance |
| 2015 | Bhaag Johnny | Janardhan “Johnny” Arora | |
| Guddu Ki Gun | Gowardhan “Guddu” Prasad | ||
| 2017 | Hanuman: Da’ Damdaar | Lord Indra | Voice role |
| Poster Boys | Himself | Special appearance | |
| Golmaal Again | Laxman Sharma | ||
| 2018 | Simmba | Himself | Special appearance |
| 2019 | Kalank | Abdul Khan | |
| 2020 | Malang | Michael Rodriguez | |
| Lootcase | Nandan Kumar | ||
| 2023 | Kanjoos Makhichoos | Jamuna Prasad Pandey |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Platform | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–present | Abhay | SP Abhay Pratap Singh | ZEE5 | 3 seasons |
| 2023 | Pop Kaun? | Sahil | Disney+ Hotstar | 6 episodes |
Television
| Year | Series | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Gul Gulshan Gulfaam | TV Debut as a Child actor |
| 1989 | Chitra Kathaien | 1 Episode ″Jhoot ka Aalam″ |
| 2010 | Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 3 | Contestant |
Short Film
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Haircut | Himself | Special appearance |