Kunal Khemu

Kunal Khemu Biography

Kunal Khemu (also credited as Kunal Kemmu; born 25 May 1983) is an Indian actor, writer and director who works in Hindi cinema. He was born in Srinagar into a Kashmiri Pandit family of performers — his parents Ravi Kemmu and Jyoti Kemmu are both actors, and his father worked with Shyam Benegal as a unit director on Bharat Ek Khoj. His paternal grandfather, Moti Lal Kemmu, was a Kashmiri playwright who received the Sahitya Akademi award and the Padma Shri.

The family left Kashmir for Jammu during the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus in the early 1990s and later settled in Mira Road, Mumbai, where he finished school at N. L. Dalmia High School before attending Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics. He first appeared on screen as a child in the Doordarshan series Gul Gulshan Gulfaam (1987) and made his film debut in Mahesh Bhatt’s Sir (1993), following it with child roles in Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Raja Hindustani, Bhai, Dushman and Zakhm, the last of which won him a Screen Award for Best Child Artist in 1998.

He returned as an adult lead in Mohit Suri’s Kalyug (2005) and went on to work in Traffic Signal and Dhol (both 2007), the Golmaal franchise, the cult zombie comedy Go Goa Gone (2013), Malang and Lootcase (both 2020). He made his writing and directing debut with the comedy thriller Madgaon Express (2024), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Debut Director and the IIFA Award for Best Directorial Debut. He married actress Soha Ali Khan on 25 January 2015; their daughter, Inaaya Naumi Khemu, was born on 29 September 2017.

Basic Details

• Full Name: Kunal Khemu (also credited as Kunal Kemmu)
• Date of Birth: 25 May 1983
• Birthplace: Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
• Nationality: Indian
• Profession: Actor, writer, director
• Years Active: 1987 – present
• Primary Industry: Hindi cinema (Bollywood)
• Education: N. L. Dalmia High School, Mira Road; Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai
• Parents: Ravi Kemmu and Jyoti Kemmu (both actors)
• Sibling: Karishma Khemu (younger sister)
• Spouse: Soha Ali Khan (married 25 January 2015)
• Children: One daughter, Inaaya Naumi Khemu (born 2017)

Career Highlights