Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | NXg | Friday Review | Cinema Plus | Young World | Property Plus | Quest |

Making unusual choices

Photo: Sampath Kumar G. P.

PLAIN SPEAKING Neil Nithin Mukesh: ‘I’m here to stay as an actor’

It’s not easy to make your mark in today’s Bollywood film industry, flush with second and third generation star kids. And more so when your grandfather is the legendary Mukesh. There’s a whole lot of anticipation to live up to if you become a singer, and a lot more speculation if you choose not to sing. That puts Neil Nitin Mukesh in quite a tight spot. But when he made a critically acclaimed acting debut with the unusually well-told thriller “Johnny Gaddar” (where he plays a cold and calculative traitor), he made it quite clear he definitely had some individual “dum”, not just the family nametag.

The one-film-old Neil is on the verge of the release of his second film, “Aa Dekhen Zara”, where people will not just be judging his acting but his singing as well. Neil sings the title track. “Singing is something that came naturally to me. I did the song only as a tribute to R.D. Burman, Kishore-ji and my grandfather…I’m a die-hard fan of Kishore Kumar,” says Neil, who is on a promotional tour of his new film.

He sang in “As Dekhen Zara” just as a matter of chance, says Neil. When producer Viki Rajani called him and told him the title of the movie, Neil started singing the old track “Aa dekhen zara kisme kitna hai dum” on the phone. And the producer said “OK come, we’ll record it.”

Neil says he plays the piano and has been trained in classical music by his grandfather’s guru. “But I’m not a professionally trained singer,” he insists. “I’m extremely passionate about singing. I write, and hope to compose some day for my films.” It’s inevitable for him to be asked to “sing a few lines” at such dos. And Neil surprises one yet again by choosing another of Kishore Kumar’s iconic number “Jaane jaa”, rather than sing any of his grandfather’s classics.

Has he stepped into the industry with much baggage that the family name brings? “There definitely is some baggage…there will be when the names are of professional trained singers like Mukesh and Nitin Mukesh (father). But I think I’ve made it clear that I’m not here to be a professional singer. I’m here to stay as an actor.”

Neil also did a shocker when he chose not to launch himself in a conventional romantic film, opting instead for the thriller “Johhny Gaddar” and doing it again this time with “Aa Dekhen…”.

“No, I’m not avoiding romantic films. It’s something every youngster relates to. But thrillers excite me and it’s a genre I feel complete with. It gives me space for creativity and characterisation, to form well-etched characters with layers to them,” says the young actor trained at Anupam Kher’s acting school. In “Aa Dekhen…” he plays a photographer who’s granted superpowers and uses them for his selfish ends.

While he hasn’t had a release the whole of last year, Neil says it’s because he was busy shooting for three other films releasing this year — “New York”, “Tera Kya Hoga Johnny” and “Jail”. In fact for Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Jail” Neil spent a day with convicts at the Thane Jail.

“In this film you’ll see me battling mental stresses. I spent nine hours at the jail and it was a great experience and learning process. I ate food with them, interacted with them. The convicts had a great mystery and silence on their faces. For the first time I felt what a bird might feel in a cage. It’s going to be one of my most difficult roles, with a lot of mental preparation.”

So he’s into this serious method-acting mode? “Method acting is something I follow sometimes. But most of the times I just try to relate to the moment and tag on to the emotion. Method acting is slightly tougher.”

Is it a tough time to be around, when there are so many young actors to contend with? “It’s a beautiful time to work, when fresh talent is required. All of us have carved a niche for ourselves and I hope we all stay rooted and keep our heads on our shoulders. That should keep us going,” he signs off.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail