Kunal Khemu: I feel underutilised as an actor

Despite making a mark with varied roles in films such as "Kalyug", "Traffic Signal", "Go Goa Gone" and now "Malang", actor Kunal Kemmu says he mostly gets offers to play comic roles thanks to his roles in the "Golmaal" series. The actor says he has much more to offer as a performer.

"I can't say that I am underrated, but I am underutilised for sure as an actor. I know that I am capable of doing so much as a performer. I have so much to offer. I have more potential than what the audience has seen in the films that I have done so far. Or maybe my fans who like my work believe that I am versatile as an actor. But that is not how the filmmakers and casting directors are seeing me," Kunal told IANS.

The actor recently proved his versatility in Mohit Suri's "Malang". In the film, he played a cold-blooded psychopathic cop who deceptively passes off as a thorough gentleman in public. While the multistarrer also featured Aditya Roy Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Disha Patani in lauded and important roles, it was Kunal's portrayal of a complex character that became a major talking point.

"One of my friends who is also a filmmaker told me that his reference to my work was 'Golmaal'. So, he tends to think that I am good in comedy. He added that my comic timing was good. Then he mentioned that he was surprised to see me in 'Malang'. I think many people are under the impression that I can only be good at comedy. I really have a lot to offer, if they cast me!" said Kunal who, in the nineties, had impressed as a child artiste in films such as "Sir", "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke", "Naaraaz", "Raja Hindustani", "Tamanna", "Bhai" and "Zakhm", before making his debut as a lead actor in the 2005 release, "Kalyug".

Currently, the actor is busy shooting the new season of the ZEE5 web series "Abhay 2".