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Art Finds Its Own Audience: Kunal Kemmu on Music, Instinct and Taking Chances
Kunal Kemmu is embracing music as more than a side passion as he reflects on moving from acting and directing into songwriting, and why instinct matters in art
After acting, directing and now music, Kunal Kemmu seems to be steadily expanding his creative playground. The actor, who recently released Nindiya — a soft lullaby dedicated to daughter Inaaya — says music was never a sudden career pivot, but something that had quietly stayed with him for years. What began with learning guitar chords through YouTube tutorials eventually turned into songwriting sessions, private compositions for friends and now, officially released tracks.
“I’ve always been musically inclined,” Kemmu says, adding that his fascination with composing started when he began experimenting with the guitar. “While playing with those chords, there were certain melodies that I thought of and then I started making my own songs.”
The process became more serious during Madgaon Express, where he wrote and composed Hum Yahi. Access to music producers and studio spaces after the film gave him the confidence to pursue the medium further. “That’s how Nindiya actually happened,” he says.
Interestingly, Kemmu credits singer-songwriter Jack Johnson as a major influence behind the kind of music he now wants to create. “When I heard his stuff, I loved the kind of writing that he did,” he says. “They were very easy-flowing lyrics. Clean guitar, simple lyrics — that became my in into trying to make music like that.” He also points to artists like Prateek Kuhad and Anuv Jain as musicians whose style he naturally connects with.
That simplicity reflects strongly in Loche, which despite being written for his daughter, was intentionally kept emotionally universal. “Every parent feels these emotions for their child,” he says. “Blessings are personal, but they’re also all the same.”
For Kemmu, music is less about perfection and more about instinct. “Art is subjective,” he says. “Something simple may unexpectedly resonate with people, while something you overthink may not.” That freedom, he adds, is what draws him to independent music. “Music lets me express myself the way I want to.”
Even as he explores music and direction, Kemmu insists acting remains his “first love”. But creatively, he has no interest in staying confined. “Unless you push yourself to your limits, you won’t know what your limits are,” he says, adding that taking risks — even at the cost of failure — is part of evolving as an artist.
