Sanchita
In the aftermath of Sushant’s death, topics like nepotism and ‘Insider vs Outsider’ are still in discussion in full swing.
Kunal Kemmu had commented that the playing field in the industry should be levelled for all after being excluded from Disney+Hotstar’s big OTT announcement, which had his film ‘Lootcase’ in the line-up.
Talking to TOI about the incident, Kunal stated that he had moved on and was not offended or upset but just wanted an equal platform to promote his film.
“Frankly, I have moved on. I am not offended or upset; it’s just that my film was going to come out on the same platform, so I expected an equal platform to promote it. This industry is not a level playing field in many ways. When it comes to the release of films, some people are not able to get better slots and better theatres.”
Addressing the Insider vs Outsider topic, Kunal shared that he couldn’t be any more of an Insider. Married to Soha Ali Khan, Kunal had already entered the industry at the age of 7, being the son of assistant director Ravi Kemmu, and grandson of Moti Lal Kemmu, a Kashmiri playwright. However, sometimes he still felt like a newcomer.
“I have been working in this industry since I was seven years old, and I don’t think I can be any more of an insider than I am. But, at times, I still feel like a newcomer. The insider-outsider debate stands true for everybody.”
Elaborating his point, he stated that one was made to feel like an Insider if their films did well. But if the films were not doing well, even a so-called Insider might say that they feel like an Outsider.
“You are made to feel like an insider and the most loved person, if your films are doing well. However, when your films are not doing well, even a so-called insider might tell you, ‘I suddenly feel like an outsider, as the love and affection are not the same anymore’. Unfortunately, that’s the nature of the business we are in.”
Talking about how a change is needed in the system, Kunal acknowledged that it was not going to happen overnight.
“The industry is not like a movie where we can say that… ‘Yeh villain hai, isko hata denge toh industry saaf ho jayegi’. It is not a one-man show, but a system. The system needs to be modified, and it is not going to change overnight.”
Meanwhile, Kunal’s upcoming comedy ‘Lootcase’ is all set to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 31st July.
