Starting off as a child artist and progressing to doing films as an adult, Kunal Kemmu, with a successful stint in showbiz, is glad to be an actor. Completing 15 years since Kalyug released, he says, “I always say that the way my career has been going, people look at me as the youngest newcomer, someone who keeps debuting every other or two years! I am still excited about the stuff that I am doing,” he says.

The 37-year-old had done films such as Sir (1993) and Hum Hain Raahi Pyaar Ke (1993) as a kid, and then Kalyug came along. Calling acting as an adult a “completely different experience”, Kemmu says, “When I was doing this as a child, it was just a hobby, I wanted to see myself on the 70 mm screen and enjoy with my family and friends. I don’t think I was passionate about it. Kalyug had a lot more riding on it, because that was when I realized what it means to be a hero in a Hindi film.”

He goes on to talk about the pressure that accompanied the experience. “If it does well, you are going to benefit, and if it doesn’t, then [you will bear the brunt]. Besides that, it was also completely different being on a set and interacting with the technicians. Also, in the film, I was chasing Ashutosh Rana, who I had worked with as a child actor! To get used to that dynamic took a bit of time. I have the fondest memories of the film. I am very happy it turned out to be my first one, and still gets talked about so much, and is still relevant when it comes to songs,” gushes Kemmu.