Mumbai: From playing intense parts to switching to comedy, Kunal Kemmu says every time he tries to feature in diverse films, it feels as if he is making his debut every second year in Bollywood.
The actor started out as a child artiste in the 1990s and went on to do films such as Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Raja Hindustani, Zakhm, and Dushman.
"I still feel I'm a newcomer on the basis of the responses I get. People tell me 'oh you look so young', 'oh he's comeback with a new film.' I keep feeling I constantly debut every two years," Kunal said.
After having worked as a child artiste for a decade, the actor proved his mettle as a lead actor with his 2005 debut Kalyug and followed it up with Traffic Signal, both high on content films.
His career witnessed a downfall after a string of flop films until Rohit Shetty's Golmaal 3 in 2010 and Saif Ali Khan-starrer Go Goa Gone (2013) came his way. This constant genre-jumping, Kunal says, comes with the aim to constantly reinvent himself.
"It may look like a struggle from one perspective, but there are pluses and minuses. I can't say 'it's all cool, I'm planning everything', no. There are times when your films don't work, your phone doesn't ring and you wonder what you have done. You question it (the choice).
"But then something good comes along and you invest all your energy into it, as opposed to waste time on what happened. It's a huge learning that things aren't always in your control. You can only be responsible for what you're doing," he adds.
"It has been a journey of ups and downs. There have been moments of immense joy and heartbreaks. Everything I have gone through has made me better."
The actor will next be seen in Malang, which reunites him with his Kalyug director
Mohit Suri.