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Kunal Kemmu's old remark on ‘unrelatable’ Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara viral,internet divided: 'Film not fraud, you're poor'

In an old video that has resurfaced now, actor Kunal Kemmu discussed his disconnect with Zoya Akhtar's films like ZNMD. The internet is divided.

Published on: Apr 2, 2026, 15:35:04 IST
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From a road trip in Spain in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), to a cruise tour in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015)- the world of Zoya Akhtar's films is the stuff dreams are made of. Ask Kunal Kemmu about it, and he has a unique answer.

Kunal Kemmu (L) Still from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD)
Kunal Kemmu (L) Still from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD)

In an old video from 2023 that's going viral again, the actor is seen speaking about ZNMD- and how aspirational it was. So much, that he couldn't relate to it.

He can be seen saying, “Dil Chahta Hai aur ZNMD aayi, achhi lagi, lekin relate nahi kar paaye. Hum log kabhi Barcelona nahi gaye, aur yeh ameer bacche Melbourne jaa rahe hain, vahaan inki coming-of-age ho rahi hai! Hum kaise karenge, hum toh Mira Road ke hain. They get realisations after scuba diving and La Tomatina festival… hamari mummy ko dikhaoge toh pagal ho jaayengi ki itne tamatar kyun waste kar diye! Inke paas toh sab kuchh hai, yeh ghoom rahe hain, sab dukhi hain… zyaada aspiration ho gaya. I ended up making Madgaon Express with the same producers of DCH and ZNMD, and this is what my pitch to them was, ki mere jaise logon ka kya?”

Watch the video here:

Madgaon Express was Kunal's directorial debut, and released in 2024.

The re-share of the viral video on an X handle had more than 9K likes and 1.3K retweets at the time of this article going live. Comments were a mix of support and dissent towards Kunal's thoughts. The ones in his favour ranged from “Kunal khemu is a super sorted man!” to “This is real you.. just a normal human, common man.. u r being a real u…simple …I truly appreciate Soha IQ now …”

Some, however, didn't agree with Kunal's logic. "Movie fraud nahi hai tu gareeb hai isiliye relate nahi kar paa raha", read one comment. Another read, “Interstellar bhi achhi nahi thi kyunki physics samajh hi nahi aayi hogi isse” One user wrote “Aren't you married to a literal princess?”

  • Rishabh Suri
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Rishabh Suri

    Rishabh Suri is an Assistant Editor, film critic, and professional overthinker of plot points. He writes for HT City, keeping pace with an industry where news cycles expire long before the popcorn gets cold. He completed his graduation in English Honours from Kirori Mal College, followed by a Master’s degree in English Literature-effectively training his brain to over-analyse classic texts before applying those exact same skills to 3-hour Bollywood blockbusters. He got into the profession when he had barely graduated from college and has been at HT ever since. At HT, Rishabh reviews films with a simple rule: skip the dense academic jargon and get straight to the point. Beyond reviews, as Assistant Editor, he helps navigate the broader circus of showbiz, tracking everything from OTT shifts to sudden box office panics. In a beat driven by loud PR machinery and carefully scripted answers, Rishabh prefers cutting through the noise to focus on how stories get made and why trends shift. When he isn’t writing against a deadline, he is usually sitting in a dark theater, compulsively memorising dialogues. For Rishabh, analysing movies isn't just a day job- it’s a habit he couldn't turn off even if he tried.Read More