- Kunal Kemmu said Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara felt aspirational but not relatable to him
- He noted films like Dil Chahta Hai show wealthy youth's coming-of-age in exotic locations
- Kemmu questioned representation of people like him from ordinary backgrounds in such films
A resurfaced video of Kunal Kemmu is gaining traction online, with the actor sharing his candid take on the relatability of Zoya Akhtar's films, particularly Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
What's Happening
- In the clip, originally from 2023, Kunal reflects on how films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Dil Chahta Hai felt aspirational but distant from his own experiences.
- He said, "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!"
- He added, "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?"
- The video has struck a chord with many on social media after being reshared on X.
Finally someone said this about the fraud movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara 😭 pic.twitter.com/TgvoDRLWf9
— Rocket (@masoladosa) April 1, 2026
Background
Kemmu debuted as a child actor in films like Sir (1993), Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke (1993), Raja Hindustani (1996), and Zakhm (1998).
He gained fame in comedies like the Golmaal series (Golmaal 3 in 2010, Golmaal Again in 2017), Go Goa Gone (2013), and Dhol (2007). Other hits include Lootcase (2020), Malang (2020), and Kanjoos Makhichoos (2023).
Kunal Kemmu made his directorial debut with Madgaon Express, which he has previously described as a story rooted in more relatable, everyday experiences, contrasting with the aspirational worlds often seen in films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. He was last seen in the Netflix series Single Papa.
