With two releases lined up,Kunal Khemu is on a roll

Khemu can barely be called a star in Bollywood’s galaxy,but the ring of bodyguards that surrounds him as he promotes Dhoondte Reh Jaoge in Mumbai would have anyone believe that he’s one of the legendary Khans.

The movie,Khemu informs,“is an out-and-out comedy”. It will be followed by the new male-bonding story of Jai Veeru with Fardeen Khan the next Friday. In Dhoondte Reh Jaoge,Khemu and Paresh Rawal play a pair out to make money in any way possible. “They formulate plans to make money,but all of them fail,” says Khemu. “They even set out to make a bad movie as part of their crazy formula.” And does the plan work? He says,“I’d rather not give that out. You should just catch the movie.”

The promo of the movie is equally zany — Khemu and co-star Soha Ali Khan look on as contests are announced to an unresponsive audience. The challenges range from answering questions about the movie to finding music CDs hidden at the venue.

Khemu started out as a child actor,with movies like Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke and Raja Hindustani. His first movie as an adult actor was Kalyug,about the pornographic film industry and how it devastates people’s lives. His next was Madhur Bhandarkar’s Traffic Signal,about the people who inhabit Mumbai’s pavements. Khemu says he does not set out to work in movies with social messages. “I choose movies that have an interesting plot,” he says. “The director is important,but ultimately I base my decision on the storyline.”

Khemu’s work has got positive reviews,even if box-office success has eluded most of the projects. Unlike many industry people,he admits that critical acclaim does matter. “Of course,mass popularity is important. But I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t appreciate the good things the critics have said about me.” But tax him about his lack of solo hero roles and he goes on the defensive. “The days of those kind of parts are over anyway,with the exception of a few like Ghajini.”

As Khemu and Khan throw into the air fistfuls of fake cash stamped with the movie’s logo,one can’t help but wonder if there is any truth to the rumours of the two being a couple. “I don’t want to give you the same clichéd answers,but the truth is we’re good friends,” he clarifies. He may not be a star yet,but he sure knows how to answer like one.