The youngest nephew of Aamir Khan in 'Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke' has grown up. 'Sir', 'Naaraaz', 'Aazmaish', 'Raja Hindustani', 'Tamanna', 'Bhai', 'Dushman', 'Angaarey' and 'Zakhm' - as a child artist, that's quite a list. After his first film as an adult- 'Kalyug'- which did fairly well, Kunal Khemu is up for trial again. Here, he talks about his second film 'Traffic Signal' to TWF correspondent Vickey Lalwani.
How different was it working in 'Traffic Signal' from 'Kalyug'?
In contrast I have quite a different personality and outlook in 'Traffic Signal'. While my presence in the film is still being underplayed, what cannot be denied is the fact that I play one of the most fabulous roles ever written for the lead characters in a mainstream film.
What exactly do you play in 'Traffic Signal'?
In 'Traffic Signal', an ensemble piece, I play a manager whose responsibility involves managing their issues, space allocation, personal/professional queries apart from the usual job of collecting the routine hafta.
After 'Zakhm', you took a break?
Yes, the break was intentional. I had just entered the 10th standard and did Zakhm during the vacations. After that I decided to concentrate on my board exams and on getting a degree. Though I did a lot of inter-collegiate plays and professional theatre during this time, I consciously stayed away from films and all things familiar. I'd set my heart on making a career as an actor and wanted to return with a completely different image. There were several ads and some interesting film offers but I turned them all down because I knew that a child star's tenure is limited. And rather than cash in on this short-term popularity, I wanted to give myself time to grow up and be considered for leads.
What is 'Traffic Signal' about?
It was always on Madhur Bhandarkar's mind to make a trilogy. 'Page 3', 'Corporate' and 'Traffic Signal', all the three films reflect the present social structure of Mumbai which is the common thread line connecting the three films. While 'Page 3' was about the world of party-hoppers, 'Corporate' was about the business world, Traffic Signal will showcase the underbelly of Mumbai. 'Traffic Signal' is about the life of people we see at the traffic signals; eunuchs, beggars, the fruitwala, phoolwala, drug peddlers, newspaper vendors, hawkers, etc. It is a contrasting life and was quite a challenging task for Madhur.
You did 'Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke'. Have you run into Aamir or Ajay recently?
I did 'Raja Hindustani' with Aamir later, but after that we've not been in touch. After my 10th standard exams I deliberately stayed clear of all film folks. I'd only bumped into Bhattsahab once in a while and he told me to come to him the day I was ready to make a comeback. When I did, he assured me he would look out for the perfect script for me. That's how I came to be working in 'Kalyug'.
'Kalyug' was a very bold film...
(Cutting in) It was not a bold film; it was a bold subject- pornography.
From a child actor to an adult actor, how has the journey been?
The journey has been great. I always wanted to become an actor and I was lucky enough to be a child actor. This is all I wanted and this is what I am doing now.