Childhood And Loss: Kunal Kemmu’s Family Revisits Family’s Kashmir Home

MUMBAI-Actor Kunal Kemmu’s sister, Karishma Kemmu, revisited her family’s ancestral home in Srinagar with her parents, sharing an emotional glimpse of the house they left behind during the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s.

Posting a video on social media, Karishma walked viewers through the old house as her parents recalled the memories attached to each room.

Remembering her early married life, Karishma’s mother said, “When we got married, we used to sleep on the upper floor of the house. What we had to leave behind in one night… today, years later, we are walking through the streets of Srinagar and reaching our house.”

Pointing to different parts of the home, Karishma’s father recalled, “This was our house… This was my bedroom. This was my room. This was dad’s room.”

Karishma said the once-sprawling family home has now been divided into smaller rented units.

“This house is now divided into rooms. Each room is someone’s home on rent,” she said, adding that there was no electricity on the staircase and that most of the rooms remained locked.

As they walked through the house, Karishma’s mother continued to recall family memories. “Dad used to study here… This was your room… We used to sit here… My sister had once fallen from these stairs. Every room is a childhood memory.”

The post resonated with many, including filmmaker and Kashmiri Pandit activist Ashoke Pandit, who commented, “I am speechless & numb. This is a story of each & every Kashmiri Pandit. Thank you, Karishma, for reliving our roots.”

Kunal Kemmu and his sister Karishma have often spoken about their Kashmiri roots and the displacement of Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s. The actor was born in Srinagar before his family migrated from the Valley. (IANS)