Kunal Kemmu reveals how Mahesh Bhatt bribed him to miss school trip and come to set: 'Worst deal I made' | Interview

Kunal Kemmu worked in many of Mahesh Bhatt's films as a child actor, including Sir, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, and Zakhm.

At a time when he is being hailed as one of the most original comedy filmmakers in the industry, it is hard to reconcile with the fact that Kunal Kemmu began his career as a child artist, making his name as the cute but outspoken kid in many hits of the early 90s. Mahesh Bhatt played a major role in Kunal’s career, directing some of his most memorable films as a child star and later giving him a break as an adult. But he was also part of the ‘worst deal’ Kunal ever made. In a candid conversation with Hindustan Times, Kunal talked about his early days in the film industry, particularly one instance that happened when he was filming Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke

Kunal Kemmu and Mahesh Bhatt on the sets of Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke.

Kunal Kemmu on how Mahesh Bhatt bribed him

Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, directed by Mahesh Bhatt, is a 1993 film that starred Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla in the lead roles. Kunal appeared as a child actor in the film, alongside Ashrafa and Sharokh Bharucha. Kunal told us that once, his school picnic coincided with the shoot schedule and the seven-year-old him was not too keen to miss the fun picnic. “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’,” Kunal recalled.

The actor said the filmmaker eventually ‘bribed’ him into missing 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.”

But Kunal calls it the ‘worst deal he made’ because, even after he got his game, he had to watch his classmates leave for the picnic without me. “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?)’.”

Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke was Kunal’s second film after Sir. He appeared in a few more films as a child actor, including Zakhm, for which his performance was praised. He made his debut as a lead actor in 2005 with the Mahesh Bhatt-produced Kalyug. In 2024, he made his directorial debut with Madgaon Express.

Kunal Kemmu’s upcoming film

Kunal is now returning to direction with the spy comedy Vibe. This time, he stars in the film himself. The cast of Vibe also includes Preity Zinta, Vanshika Dhir, Dinesh Lal Yadav, and Yashpal Sharma, among others. Produced by Kunal Kemmu and Chirag Nihalani under their production banner Drongo Films, in association with Amazon MGM Studios, Vibe will be out in cinemas on September 18.