Kunal Kemmu says film business 'isn't always decided by talent but by math': We started making projects, not films

Kunal Kemmu opens up on alliances and more in Bollywood as he talks about his new reality show, Alliance.

Actor Kunal Kemmu’s latest work is not on the big screen, but on streaming. And for the first time, he is not acting or directing. Kunal is hosting the new Prime Video reality show, Alliance. Ahead of the show’s release this week, Kunal spoke to HT about its concept and how alliances exist outside reality TV, in real life.

Kunal Kemmu talks about alliances and more in Bollywood.

On alliances in real life

Alliance, as the name suggests, is based on the concept of shifting alliances, where players realise that their friends and allies are not permanent. Kunal says the concept is not much different in reality. “There is a family you are born into, and there is a family you make or choose, like friends who become like family. And sometimes family relationships don't last. Human existence is based on alliances. Back in the day, if you could not be a hunter or gatherer, you had to make alliances to survive. Alliances are what you need to survive,” he says.

On camps in Bollywood

A big parallel of alliance in the world of cinema is the ‘camps’ one often hears about in Bollywood. There have been reports that many actors and filmmakers in Hindi cinema form alliances with people they like, pushing others out of work. Talking about camps in the Hindi film industry, Kunal says, “It exists. It is not the only way things happen, but it does happen in any field. You may feel good or bad about it, but the fact is that it will remain. It is human nature. If I like someone and I want to work with them, you can't make me not work with them. It might be disadvantageous for somebody else, but unfortunately, that's the way to go.”

‘Business is not always decided by talent’

Having started as a child actor in the 90s and then graduating to lead roles in the 2000s, Kunal has seen his fair share of politicking in Bollywood. He shares, “Camps hote the, ab thode kam hain because tab kuch hi families thi jo films bana rahi thi (There used to be camps. Now there are fewer because earlier only a few families made films). The corporates came. But even today, business is not always decided by talent. It is decided by some math, which does not make any sense.”

Kunal adds that the impact of this mathematical style of filmmaking has been evident in audience response. “That is why we started making projects and not films. Luckily, time teaches everything. Now people are not going to watch films. They are telling us they need content, not projects,” he says.