Kunal Khemu has revisited some of the most difficult memories from his childhood in Srinagar, including a terrifying blast that occurred beneath the house where he was staying with his family. The actor recently spoke about growing up in Kashmir during a period of unrest and explained how, as a young child, he experienced the situation without fully understanding what was happening around him.
Kunal Khemu said his childhood memories of Srinagar are a mixture of beautiful moments and frightening experiences. He remembers going to school, visiting Dal Lake and travelling to Pahalgam with his family. But alongside those memories were the sounds of explosions, stone-pelting and the anxiety he could sense among adults around him.
“There Was a Blast Below Our House”
One of the most disturbing memories Kunal Khemu shared was an explosion that happened while he was inside his home. He recalled that he was playing cards with his cousin when there was suddenly a powerful blast.
The impact was so strong that the young Kunal Khemu was thrown away from where he had been sitting. He remembered being unable to hear anything immediately afterwards and seeing smoke and shattered glass around him.
The actor described the experience as something that looked almost like a scene from a film. He remembered seeing everything visually before darkness followed, with his next clear memory being of waking up later.
For Kunal Khemu, the incident remained one of the strongest memories of his childhood in Srinagar.
A Six-Year-Old’s View of Kashmir
Kunal Khemu has explained that his memories of the unrest are from the perspective of a child who did not understand the political or social circumstances behind what was happening.
At around six years old, he could sense that something was wrong because his parents and other family members appeared stressed. He remembered that whenever there was a loud sound, there could be uncertainty about whether it was an ordinary household accident or something more serious.
The actor also recalled seeing stone-pelting incidents and the Army arriving in the area. As a child, however, he did not fully understand the events unfolding around him.
He said his parents tried to protect him and other children in the family from the seriousness of the situation. Even so, conversations among adults and the visible tension around them made it clear that something was happening.
Beautiful Memories of Srinagar Too
Despite the frightening experiences, Kunal Khemu's memories of Kashmir are not entirely negative. He has spoken about the beautiful parts of his childhood in Srinagar, particularly his school days and outings with his family.
Dal Lake and Pahalgam remain among the places he remembers fondly. These memories exist alongside the more disturbing images of explosions and unrest.
Kunal Khemu's recollections therefore present two very different sides of his childhood. On one hand, there were ordinary experiences of growing up, family outings and school. On the other, there were moments of fear that he could not completely understand at that age.
He has said that his parents did an effective job of shielding him from the full reality of the situation, although a child could still hear and see enough to realise that the adults were worried.
How Kunal Khemu Became an Accidental Actor
Interestingly, Kunal Khemu did not originally dream of becoming an actor. He has described himself as an “accidental actor” because his first experience with acting happened largely because of his parents' work.
His parents were associated with the Doordarshan series Gul Gulshan Gulfaam, which was being shot in Srinagar. As a child, Kunal Khemu would accompany them to sets, but he initially had little interest in appearing in front of the camera.
In fact, he has recalled being scared of the camera when he was around six or seven years old. Acting was not something he had planned for himself at that stage.
Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke Gave Him Recognition
Kunal Khemu's accidental entry into acting eventually led to one of the most important opportunities of his childhood. After his family moved to Mumbai, he received the opportunity to appear in Aamir Khan and Juhi Chawla's Hum Hain Rahi Pyaar Ke.
The film helped Kunal Khemu gain recognition as a child actor. He later appeared in films including Zakhm, which became another important turning point in his relationship with acting.
Kunal Khemu has recalled that at the time he was still in school and initially wanted to concentrate on his education. His experience on Zakhm, however, made him think more seriously about acting as a possible career.
Zakhm Changed His Approach to Acting
While Kunal Khemu enjoyed working as a child actor, he did not immediately decide to pursue films professionally. After Zakhm, he took a break from movies to complete his education.
During this period, he also became involved with theatre. The experience allowed him to continue developing his acting skills while focusing on his studies.
Eventually, Kunal Khemu returned to films and made his debut as a lead actor with Kalyug in 2005. The film marked a major transition from his childhood career to his journey as an adult actor.
From Actor to Director
Over the years, Kunal Khemu expanded his work beyond acting. He made his directorial debut with Madgaon Express in 2024, a comedy featuring Divyenndu, Pratik Gandhi and Avinash Tiwary.
The film marked another significant phase in his career as he took responsibility behind the camera as a writer and director.
Kunal Khemu has since continued to explore different aspects of filmmaking. His latest directorial project, Vibe, also features him alongside actors including Preity Zinta and Sparsh Shrivastava.
A Childhood Memory That Stayed With Him
Kunal Khemu's recollection of the Kashmir blast offers a rare insight into the childhood experiences that remained with him long after he left Srinagar.
The actor has spoken about the incident without presenting himself as someone who fully understood the circumstances at the time. Instead, his memories are centred on what a young child could see and feel: a sudden explosion, smoke, broken glass, confusion and the reaction of the adults around him.
His story also shows how his early years in Kashmir contained both ordinary childhood happiness and moments of fear. From family trips to Dal Lake and Pahalgam to the frightening experience of a blast near his home, these contrasting memories have remained part of his personal history.
Today, Kunal Khemu is known not only as an actor but also as a filmmaker. Yet his journey began unexpectedly, with a child who had little interest in cameras and eventually found his way into cinema through circumstances surrounding his family's work.
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