Kunal Kemmu: ‘I want to do a Voldemort’

‘I just love being an actor because that’s the only profession where you get an opportunity to do stuff like this, right?’
‘You can be a detective one day and a common man the next… and then you can be a serial killer!’

Photograph: Kind courtesy Kunal Kemmu/Instagram

Kunal Kemmu has proved his versatility with some interesting parts across genres, but it is really comedy that the actor has won the most appreciation for.

Be it the Golmaal series, Go Goa Gone, or Lootcase, audiences have loved Kunal for his comedic flair.

The actor returns to the comedy genre with his new OTT show Pop Kaun in which Kunal is seen alongside comedy kings Johnny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, Saurabh Shukla and the late Satish Kaushik.

Kunal tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com,”I just feel blessed as an actor to be in the same space as them and get to improvise with them and get to do that give and take.”

Is comedy your comfort space?

It seems to be like it because I get asked that question all the time.

I’m happy if it is my comfort space. It is something I take very seriously.

It comes naturally to me and I really enjoy it.

Director Farhad Samjhi said that he wanted to bring all the legends of comedy together. How was your experience of working alongside such great comedic talents?

It was amazing.

I’ve been a fan of each one of them.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of them.

Even before, as a kid, I worked with Johnny bhai (Lever) in Raja Hindustani, and then again in Golmaal Again.

With Rajpal, I have worked with him in Dhol.

I have known Satishji (Kaushik) for a very long time. I was fortunate enough to get to share the screen with him for the first time in Pop Kaun. Also Saurabjji (Shukla).

I’ve always loved, respected and enjoyed their work.

This was one of Satish Kaushik’s last on-screen appearances. What are your fond memories of him from the sets?

I never thought we’d be in this space where we would be talking about fond memories with him in the past tense.

What happened still seems unreal because it was so sudden and so shocking.

Whether you’ve met him once or you’ve known him for a year, he would make the same impression on you.

I feel blessed to be in the same space as him and get to improvise with him.

How different is doing comedy for film versus for a long-format show like this?

It’s pretty much the same.

As actors, you just get to delve into a lot more depth because you’re portraying that character for a longer period of time.

In the case of Pop Kaun, the runtime is pretty much like a long film. It has six episodes and they’re all around 30 minutes.

So it was pretty much like doing a film.

Photograph: Kind courtesy Kunal Kemmu/Instagram

Does your daughter Inaaya like watching you in fun roles?

She hasn’t started watching Hindi films as yet.

She has just started watching Frozen and Peppa Pig.

Her TV time is limited.

She watches episodes; she hasn’t graduated to feature films yet.

As actor, we have seen you experimenting with negative roles in Kalank and \Malang. Do you enjoy characters with grey shades?

Oh, very much.

I just love being an actor because that’s the only profession where you get an opportunity to do stuff like this, right?

You can play any character, any job… you can be a detective one day and a common man the next… and then you can be a serial killer!

I’m happy and grateful that audiences have liked me in them.

There’s one thing that I want to do — I want to do a Voldemort.

With Kalank, Malang and Abhay, I was able to sell these dark characters. They will give me opportunities to do more of them in the future.

IMAGE: Kunal Kemmu, Soha Ali Khan and Cyrus Broacha on sets of 99, a 2009 film directed by Krishna DK and Raj Nidimoru. Photograph: Kind courtesy Kunal Kemmu/Instagram

When will we see you and Soha doing a film together again? You two were great in films like 99 and Dhoondte Reh Jaaoge.

As soon as we get a film that appeals to both of us.

We haven’t stayed away from it for any other reason.

We didn’t get anything as exciting as 99.

What can you tell us about Go Goa Gone 2?

I have handled this question for so many years, but unfortunately, I have no answer for you. (Laughs)

You have to speak to the directors and the producers because I have no official word about the film.

I am very excited to do that again.

They worked on the idea of doing it again, but the fact that it’s taken such a long time, upsets me.