I’ve technically known Kunal for a very long time but it was only recently, when I went to his home and interviewed him for this article that I really got a glimpse into the person he really is. From this, I got that he is an extremely talented and dedicated performer who loves and respects his family very much, especially his older sister Yamini. When we first got started, Kunal insisted that his sister, whom he respectfully calls Didi, remain in the room with him and repeatedly stated that his dancing was inspired by watching her performances. They are obviously very close and Yamini told me that, when she is away at college, he calls her and tells her what’s going on with him. They danced together in 1998 to the song Akhiyon se Goli Mare from Dulhe Raja at a Holi function and both enjoyed working with the other. Kunal has also choreographed two of Yamini’s dances: Nimbooda from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Rang De from Thakshak. Kunal said that, for Nimbooda, she at first said that it was too hard and that he would constantly get into her face and say “Nimbooda” until she finally agreed. After that he said that she learned the song in only one week as she was a fast learner and very talented. “He is a hard task master,” Yamini said, “He picks up things so fast whereas I have to practice,” but this was said in a way that I could tell she was very proud of him.

Kunal has loved singing, dancing, and acting since childhood and performing has been something he has always enjoyed. Yamini recalls him reciting lines from the Mahabharata when he was only six or seven and dancing to Michael Jackson. He told me that he especially liked the song Thriller and that he danced to Michael Jackson on stage after getting two of his CDs. When I asked Kunal how the whole Indian dancing thing began, he said that it all started when he secretly borrowed a tape of Rangeela and just started dancing whatever he felt. His first big opportunity came when he danced to the ever popular Chaiya Chaiya from Dil Se at an audition for a Deewali party. To this day, this is the song that he is most known for, especially after he danced to it on stage with Shah Rukh Khan himself at a concert in Boston a few years ago. When asked about how he feels when performing, Kunal said, “When I’m on stage, I feel like I can’t mess up, the nervousness goes out of my ears and I dance with all my heart.”

To this day, despite the Hrithik Roshan craze that has taken over the Indian community, Kunal is ever loyal to his favorite actor Shah Rukh Khan. To him Shah Rukh Khan is a different breed of actor because he accepts such diverse types of roles and is one of the only actors of his generation to play both the hero and the villain. “Just like an artist who paints creates different painting designs, so to me an artist who is an actor takes different roles and brings them to life naturally.” He really anticipated meeting him when he came to Boston for a concert a few years ago and praises him a lot. When he was asked by name to come to the stage by Shah Rukh Khan to dance to Chaiya Chaiya, he said, “There was no way that I could feel nervous. I felt special when he brought me forward and I just knew that I could do it. After the show, I went to every sponsor and begged to get to meet him. I was in his dressing room for 20 minutes. I recited some dialogues from Pardes and he just stared at me and I could tell that he was really interested.

At this point Kunal asked me if I would like to hear one of these dialogues and proceeded to give a very moving rendition of the scene in Pardes where Shah Rukh Khan tells Amrish Puri the truth about his son. He also reenacted the very powerful scene in Mission Kashmir where Sanjay Dutt talks to the police commissioner about the security measures for the Prime Minister’s visit and a comic scene between Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal in Hera Pheri. I just sat there in awe of the incredible feeling he put into the speeches. Kunal loves doing acting and mimicry, reciting dialogues and acting them out loud and in 1996 he was in a play of the Ramayana. “When it comes to acting, someone who has a very big hand in it is my dad. With him, acting is not a joke; he really pushed me into doing the dialogues from Pardes. At first when I went up nothing happened, but thinking about my dad, it just came from the heart, and I knew that my dad must be proud.”

A lover of Indian history, especially in the times of the revolution, the story of Bhagat Singh was of particular interest to Kunal. He said that he really got into it when he saw the movie recently and memorized all the songs. He also read about Shahid Bhagat Singh and cried about all the big things that he did like starving himself. “After learning his story,” Kunal said, “I had little interest in Mahatma Gandhi.” He says that he liked Ajay Devgan, saying that he was natural and accepted challenges. After this, as singing is also a hobby of his, Kunal sang a few lines from Surparoshi from Bhagat Singh as well as some of Ek Din Kahe from Aur Pyar Ho Gaya.

Kunal has gotten professional dance training in India from “Shakur Uncle,” most famous for being the dance teacher of Hrithik Roshan. Kunal describes the entire experience as being unforgettable and has nothing but praise for the man who trained him. He describes Shakur as strict with teaching and training but humble and fun, he accepts your ways and makes sure you are comfortable with all the steps and changes them if you’re not. Kunal also learned from the other kids there and met lots of upcoming stars. The dance training was associated with an academy also, part of Kishore Namat Kapoor’s Acting Lab which produced such stars as Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, and Hrithik Roshan. Kunal was too young to attend the acting academy part before, being the youngest there at age 13, but he is going to try and go next year.

Where before Kunal mostly danced at parties and functions, now he has moved on to dance competitions. The dancing academy was the place where he learned and practiced Dance of Envy from Dil To Pagal Hai, the performance of which won him the gold medal at the Starlet Regional competition. “I brought a new flavor into American society and I think that’s why I won.” Kunal has also won 1st price at a recent Indian dancing competition. The next competition he will be participating in will be one conducted by Bollywood itself from August 24-25 where the winner will get to be in the screening of a real movie. From all of us, good luck Kunal!

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