As told to Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 19, 2020)

I’m fortunate to have got two first shots in my career. As a child, I was cast as the young Rishi Kapoor in Yash Chopra’s Vijay. I had to jump into the hotel pool during the song “Akkad Bakkad Bambe Bo” for my first turn in front of the camera. I didn’t know swimming then, but I dove in excitedly and went under. Somebody had to jump in to save me. I swallowed a lot of chlorinated water and was terrified I’d drown. So, when I was called to do the shot again, I refused. Yash uncle, who was like a father figure, managed to cajole me into doing it. He bought a box of chocolates and sat next to me, counting them. By the time he reached 100, I’d agreed.

Despite the scare, I loved being on the set and realised this was what I wanted to do when I grew up.

I was 21 when I left my job as an assistant director and enrolled for a year of acting classes. At 23, I was knocking on the doors of every producer for work. They all agreed to meet me because of my last name, but held out no hope or promise. One day, I was at an event representing my father, who wasn’t in the city, standing by the bar and feeling frustrated, when someone nudged me. He asked if I was Nitin Mukesh’s son who was looking for work everywhere. I nodded, thinking here was another person who had come to lecture me, but it was Jhamu Sughand, who invited me to his office the next day.

I reached at 9 am sharp, and he offered me a choice between two films — Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (JTYJN), which eventually got made with Imran Khan, and Johnny Gaddaar. I was on a flight to Delhi later that evening with my mother for my cousin’s wedding. When I told her about the offer, she wanted me to opt for JTYJN because it was a love story. But I was inclined towards Johnny Gaddaar. She read the script to me on the flight and I was hooked, but she was doubtful because I was just 24 and the film required me to kill five people onscreen. She insisted I read the JTYJN script, which I did on reaching Delhi. But my gut instinct told me to go with Johnny Gaddaar as it would give me a chance to explore a side to my personality that was drastically different from my upbringing, while JTYJN was actually me in real life.

When I went back to Jhamu sir’s office, I asked him if I could do both films. He told me I’d have to choose between the two as he wanted to start both the films in the same year. I said “yes” to Johnny Gaddaar and he put me on a six-month prep with director Sriram Raghavan, telling me I had to work with him daily.

I met Sriram the same day. He sent me to the set of Parineeta where Anurag Kashyap took my audition in front of almost 100 people. Then, started the workshops. I didn’t know if I was in the film until Sriram came knocking on my door the night before the shoot. He had a box of pedas with him and congratulated me. Till then, I had believed he thought of me as his assistant, but later, I realised it was his way of teaching me the craft.

My first shot required me to go to a chemist shop and ask for a bottle of chloroform. My excuse was that my cat was gravely ill and I needed the chloroform to put him to sleep. The scene comes at a point in the film when the plan has already been put into action. We were in Aram Nagar and the shot was okayed in one take. In fact, the whole shoot went by in a flash. It was my bad luck that Jhamu ji suddenly passed away and the film was stuck for almost two years. A lot of people told us no one would go to see a long-delayed film. But we believed in it and once it released, well, the rest is history.

Neil Nitin Mukesh hasn’t met father Nitin Mukesh in over two months due to lockdown; daughter Nurvi, two scripts have kept him occupied
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 4, 2020)

Since the Coronavirus-triggered lockdown was announced, residing in his Mumbai apartment with wife Rukmini, daughter Nurvi and a nanny, Neil Nitin Mukesh’s work-day begins after he is done playing with his year-and-a-half-old moppet. “After lunch, it is time to resume writing,” the actor says, pointing out that since his 2007 debut with Johnny Gaddaar, he has had at least two releases every year. “But I don’t know about 2020, unless Firrkie comes directly on OTT.” The film, co-starring Jackie Shroff and Karan Singh Grover, was to arrive in cinemas this year.

Work-related uncertainties aside, Neil is happy to be home with Nurvi. “I was away on a 45-day shoot of Bypass Road when Rukmini’s due date was approaching. And although I made it back just in time for the delivery, I always felt that there was a gap to be bridged,” he admits, adding that the toddler is quite attached to him now. “Whenever I wear a mask, she realises I am going downstairs and starts crying.”

Nurvi herself is amassing a fan-following with videos of her dancing, which routinely pop up on her actor-father’s social media. “She is very energetic and had started running just before the lockdown happened. I feel bad that there are no open spaces for her to run right now. But one day, I noticed her responding to music and now, she dances twice a day to expend all the energy,” the actor shares, adding that Rukmini and he used to join her in the beginning but not any longer.

Neil misses his veteran singer-father Nitin Mukesh. Despite being in the same city, they haven’t met in two-and-a-half months. “He was advised to live separately as he is a senior citizen but we’re constantly in touch over the phone. On Saturday nights, the whole family connects virtually to jam together. I am a complete daddy’s boy. Since Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) uncle’s demise, he has been feeling low. I am trying to keep his spirits high. We’re each other’s anchor, I worry about him on a daily basis,” the actor confides.

Steering back to the writing, Neil informs that he has finished penning a web series and is on the final draft of two stories—a murder mystery and a thriller. “The latter will be directed by my brother Naman. I have written all the scripts keeping myself in mind but I am not averse to having other actors play the parts if need be,” he says.

On the acting front, he was to start work on two projects, set in London and Goa respectively, which have been pushed. “Now, we aren’t sure if we will even get permission to shoot there,” he sighs. Nonetheless, Neil is happy with his body of work and points out a unique feat. “I may be the only actor to have worked with two generations of several families—Dharam ji (Dharmendra in Johnny Gaddaar) and Bobby (Deol in Players), Abhishek (in Players) and Amitabh Bachchan sir (in Wazir), Shakti Kapoor sir (Vijay), as a child actor and Shraddha (Saaho), and Anupam Kher (Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Indu Sarkar) and Sikander (Players),” he points out, adding that he has also worked with almost 12 National Award-winning directors, including Yash Chopra (Vijay), Abbas-Mustan (Players), Sooraj Barjatya (Prem Ratan Dhan Payo), Pradeep Sarkar (Lafangey Parindey), Sriram Raghavan (Johnny Gaddaar), Kabir Khan (New York), Sudhir Mishra (Tera Kya Hoga Johnny), Vishal Bhardwaj (7 Khoon Maaf) and Madhur Bhandarkar (Jail, Indu Sarkar), in his career.

He forayed into South films with A R Murugadoss’s Kaththi, which will soon get a Hindi remake with Akshay Kumar. Has he been approached to reprise his part? “We have been discussing it. Considering the current situation, I will request them to take me so that I find some work to do,” Neil laughs.

Any plans for turning director? “I will definitely do it, but I can’t set a deadline. If I feel a story needs to be told, and I need to direct it, I won’t hold back. For now, I have two-three stories that I will start developing soon,” the actor signs off.

Neil Nitin Mukesh says that fatherhood is treating him well and his toddler, who is his ‘stress buster’, has changed his life for the better
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 24, 2019)

Having recently marked his debut as a film producer and screenplay writer with his home production, Bypass Road, Neil Nitin Mukesh is in a happy state of mind. But what has truly changed his life is his daughter, Nurvi, who turned one recently. “Fatherhood is blissful,” he says, adding, “Nurvi is such a mischief-maker. She constantly keeps us on our toes. I was very tired for the last one-and-a-half year as I’ve been working non-stop. But amidst all the anxiety, stress and the butterflies in my stomach, I kept waiting to go back home so that I could disconnect with everything and be with Nurvi.”

Neil says that he loves pampering his child to bits. “When I see her, I feel so secure and warm, that all my exhaustion vanishes away. She’s her papa’s baby. She loves her papa a lot and I hope it stays this way. I spoil her rotten. She’s the apple of all our eyes,” he says with a smile.

The Johnny Gaddaar (2007) actor goes on to share an anecdote about his daughter. “These days, whenever she sees me on television, she immediately looks at me in a rather surprised way. I remember this instance when I was watching something on television and they were playing Tune Jo Na Kaha from New York (2009). Nurvi is quite inclined to music and she really liked the song. She sat up straight and went, ‘Papa! Papa!’ I was so surprised that she recognised me. She had this question mark on her face and she couldn’t look away from me. Then she came crawling to me and started touching my face as if to figure if I was the same person who she saw on TV. Now, Rukmini (Neil Mukesh; wife) keeps showing my videos to her,” he concludes with a laugh.

Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 6, 2019)

Bypass Road is a rather special film for Neil Nitin Mukesh as the thriller marks his debut as a producer and screenplay writer. He says, “I had great fun. I’ve never felt this kind of a high before. It gave me such creative satisfaction.”

But moments later, the actor adds that the picture wasn’t as rosy as many would think. Neil explains, “I can’t take credit for the production all by myself. Many creative brains came together and wanted to spearhead the process in a certain direction as filmmaking is not a one man’s job. But everyone looked at me for those nods of approval and that would stress me out.”

He goes on to share that the dearth of unique scripts led him to pen Bypass Road four years ago. “I started developing the film when I was just about finishing Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015). I had gone to Dubai for one of my shows and on my way back, on the flight, I somewhere read that OTT platforms are going to come to India soon. I knew that it was the need of the hour to start developing the script. As an actor, how long can I wait for a subject to be developed? I knew I could do much more than what I was being offered,” he says.

For Neil, Bypass Road is a trendsetter as it will introduce the Hindi cinema-watching audience to a new sub-genre of thrillers. “There’s a genre in the subtext of thrillers called home invasion. In the West, you’ll see a lot of home invasion films, such as Scream (1996), Hush and Don’t Breathe (both 2016), which have a thin storyline and come straight to the plot. I thought that it would startle my audience here but I still wanted to introduce that genre to them where they would wonder if the protagonist is going to survive or not and what is the survival instinct of a paraplegic in his own house,” says the New York (2009) actor.

Neil intends to push the envelope for himself and venture into a new territory. Hinting at his upcoming plans, he shares, “In the near future, I’ll most likely direct a thriller. I’m also very fond of love stories. Once I feel it’s the right time to jump into that aspect of filmmaking, I won’t wait.”

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; November 2, 2019)

Legendary singer Mukesh’s grandsons and Nitin Mukesh’s sons, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Naman Nitin Mukesh, have joined hands to present their first production, Bypass Road. While Neil has written, produced and acted in the film, Naman makes his directorial debut with this movie. In an interview with BT, they talk about why this project is so important to them:

What prompted you to venture into production at this stage of you career, Neil? And Naman, why do you think this was the right film for you to make your directorial debut?
Neil: For Naman and me, this film is extremely important. When I started out 12 years ago, there was a debate on whether a singer’s son and grandson can really become an actor. For us, this film is an answer to that argument; it’s like emphasising strongly that creativity has no boundaries. When you come from within the industry, people question your capabilities even more and think that you have probably taken your privileges for granted. But in this exciting phase of cinema that’s driven by content, I felt the need to craft and back a story that I wanted to see on the big screen.
Naman: I started out as an assistant director. My brother got me on board only when he felt that I could handle something so big on my own. People were skeptical about it and some even said that I got a chance only because of my brother. But they don’t know that he won’t give me a chance just for the heck of it. We have a film lineage, and we can’t change that, but everyone in the family has worked hard to reach where they have.

While many actors are producing films today, you have also written this movie. What prompted you to do that?
Neil: At the beginning of my career, I didn’t want to be categorised as a particular kind of actor. I chose Johnny Gaddaar (2007) as my debut to avoid that. While I acted in big-budget films like Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015) and displayed my vulnerable side in films like New York (2009), I’ve played complex characters because I want to give something different to the audience. People tend to have a herd mentality, and when something works, you’re offered the same sort of roles. I’ve always steered clear of that. One of the reasons to write the film was to tell people that this is the kind of movie that I want to be a part of. I am often asked why I wasn’t doing something like Johnny Gaddaar again. But the fact is, there’s not much written in that genre. I didn’t want to wait for someone to tap my potential, and so, I decided to do this on my own. Thriller is my forte and it works well for me. The thriller genre has an audience, but not enough content is created for it. So, I decided to write something that appealed to my sensibilities.

Was the decision to produce a film difficult to arrive at, given the challenges that it comes with?
Naman: For us, production was the right step. We have both been exposed to production work before our careers began. The confidence of being able to execute a project comes with experience. We were clear that we would never take this chance for granted. The film is dominated by the plot, and not by the fact that we are producers, and so, we can do just about anything that we want. We’ve, in fact, been extremely cautious with the money, the talent on board and the product in hand.
Neil: For the last few years, I have been the entertainment director of Miraj Entertainment with Madan Paliwal. For us, production is not about playing the boss; it is about getting the job done in the right manner. Our next two films don’t have me as an actor or Naman as the director. We are simply backing them and collaborating with deserving artistes and technicians. Many doors were shut for me, because people turned around and told me, ‘Why don’t you just sing?’ or ‘Do you think you can act because you are good looking?’ I wondered why I was being judged. I don’t want others to face that. I hate theories; I prefer doing things. So, with our little budget, we’ve done the best we could for this story.

Naman, what was interaction like with Neil the actor on the set?
Naman: His experience always comes in handy, and he is my backbone. Yes, he bullied me every day, but more like the elder brother who pushed me to do better. He never let me get complacent. In fact, he made everyone feel at home, except me.

Bypass Road, produced by Madan Paliwal of Miraj Group and NNM Films, releases on November 8

Neil Nitin Mukesh on lessons learnt from Sriram Raghavan, taking on Prabhas, and daughter Nurvi’s first birthday
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 29, 2019)

Neil Nitin Mukesh, who plays the antagonist in Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor’s upcoming action-packed thriller, Saaho, reveals that he was offered the film a year-and-a-half before it went on the floors. “It was just after (AR) Murugadoss sir’s Tamil film Kaththi. That film was a blockbuster and my entry in the South film industry was noted with a lot of offers coming my way,” reminisces the actor, saying that he had first met Saaho director Sujeeth at an award function. “A few months later, he flew down to Mumbai to narrate this script to me and I was blown away by his vision.”

Around the time, Prabhas was not on board and Neil was the first actor to be officially signed for Saaho. Once Prabhas entered the picture Neil had to gain some weight. “Prabhas sir was the mighty Bahubali in people’s minds after his period epic extravaganza and I had to pile on nine kg to match up to that imposing persona,” he smiles, quick to add that he intends to start losing all of it after the Ganpati festival.

Ask him what it is like to play a bad man and Neil points out that he has never perceived a character as negative or positive but as one who drives the narrative. “I had a one-scene appearance in Wazir but without it the film would have no essence as it was a significant role,” he reasons.

Quiz him on his co-star who is making his Bollywood debut with the film and Neil recalls that when they were shooting in Abu Dhabi, Rukmini was expecting and even though he kept the news to himself, the team sensed it. One day, Prabhas casually asked why Rukmini wasn’t visiting the set. “When I broke the news to him, he came to our room loaded with gifts. No wonder he is the darling of the nation,” Neil smiles.

Recently, Sriram Raghavan, the director of his debut film, Johnny Gaddaar, won a National Award for his last directorial, AndhaDhun (Best Feature Film in Hindi). “I was supposed to celebrate with Sriram, but unfortunately, I couldn’t make it. I love him dearly and owe my existence in this industry to him. He is my only school of filmmaking,” the actor gushes, adding that he was 23 when he was signed by the filmmaker, who made him unlearn everything he had been taught, stripped him of all his inhibitions and put him on the right path. “To date, every time I start a film, I unlearn and learn again,” adds Neil.

Are there any plans to take forward their 2007 neo-noir thriller? “It’s a great franchise idea and I will speak to Sriram about it,” Neil promises, all excited to bring in daughter Nurvi’s first birthday. “Since she was born during the Ganpati festival (September 20) according to the Hindu calendar, we will be celebrating her first birthday on September 9,” the proud father concludes.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 10, 2019)

He was last seen as the villain in Golmaal Again (2017) and now two years down the line, Neil Nitin Mukesh will be back as the baddie, this time in the action thriller Saaho, headlined by Prabhas. The actor who had an unconventional launch in Johnny Gaddaar, has played characters with an edge in most of his films. He also has worked with the best of filmmakers from Sriram Raghavan to Vishal Bhardwaj, Sooraj Barjatya and Rohit Shetty in Bollywood and AR Murugadoss in the South, and yet his career trajectory doesn’t boast of many hits. He, however, has no complaints. “I have worked with 15 National-Award winning directors, and learnt a lot from them. Unfortunately, the films didn’t work. That doesn’t mean the choices were wrong. There is a lot of math behind a film. But I am happy, I am still surviving in this industry after 12 years,” he says. The 37-year-old talks about his upcoming film, working with Prabhas and playing the baddie.

How did Saaho come about?
Right after Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (PRDP), I was offered the Telugu film Kaththi by A R Murugadoss. At that time I was thinking that every actor needs one film to sharpen his skill set. When you are constantly working you lose your perspective. I wanted a challenge, speak and dub my own lines (in Telugu). It kind of took me back to school. Then I was at that phase of my career — PRDP did really well and Kaththi was a blockbuster — when I met Sujeeth (director of Saaho) at an awards function where I won the best actor in a negative role. We instantly connected as friends. One day he called to meet and gave me a narration of the film. I instantly jumped onto it. I found it lavish and intriguing. Around that time Baahubali 1 was releasing and Prabhas was in it. We knew it would have a Hindi release, so, it kind of made sense that Sujeeth was making Saaho in three languages.

What was it about the role that appealed to you?
My character is well-etched. Without giving much away, I can tell you it’s multi- layered. I needed to do this at this point of my career. There are certain perceptions about me and I like shocking the audience about what I am playing. From Johnny Gaddar to Saaho, I have switched as much as I can. Whether it was Wazir, Indu Sarkar, Players, Saat Khoon Maaf or David there were shades of grey in my character. Jai (his character) in Saaho is unpredictable. As much as you think he is planning something, you’ll see there is more than what meets the eye. The character is delicious and I liked to add to those layers to him.

Did you have to do any prep for the role?
The physicality and the body language was important. I had to be agile. For the role I had to look robust so I gained some muscle mass. However, at the same time I had committed to my production Bypass Road, which is directed by my brother Naman. In that film I play a paraplegic for which I had to lose weight and I didn’t know how long I would be shooting for Saaho, so that was the only stress.

You have established yourself as the antagonist now. Is that the way you want it to be?
I don’t really understand the bifurcation of protagonist and antagonist. For me it’s a character, however much we use that lingo in terms of discussing films. We have so many stalwarts like Rajini sir (Rajinikanth), Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha, who started their career as anti-heroes or played characters with grey shades. They have also pulled off great comedies and family dramas. I am open to all genres, but I find playing an antagonist interesting. It’s always a challenge to come up with a new approach to a grey character. I like being unpredictable. In the West several actors essay characters with a bit of an edge and it makes them intriguing. We don’t make those Alfred Hitchcock kind of movies or suspense thrillers where all characters are grey.

How was it working with Prabhas post his Baahubali success?
He is a darling. Yes, there was always this apprehension going on a set and facing the camera with Prabhas post Baahubali — How would he be? How would his approach be to his co-stars, etc. But, he is such a simple, down-to-earth person making all his co-stars comfortable. He gave me so much room to explore and expand my character. That is why in general people call him darling. I truly love him. My wife (Rukmini Sahay) was pregnant when we were shooting some action sequences in Abu Dhabi. I had just got to know Prabhas, but he came down to my room and got gifts for my wife. Every day there would be one phone call from him to find out if she is okay, and looked after. Who does this? Everyone is so self-absorbed. I learnt a lot from him. My father always says when a tree grows big it starts bowing down to earth. Prabhas is such a big star but he is more humble.

Have you thought of exploring the digital platform, which is the in-thing right now?
It is a great platform to explore different genres and scripts. The audience is used to great shows like Stranger Things and Game of Thrones. Here also there have been shows like Sacred Games and Typewriter which have been good. I would love to be a part of something where the maker is pushing the envelope. Right now, it’s not exciting me at all.

Neil Nitin Mukesh on penning his upcoming thriller, Bypass Road, to be helmed by brother Naman Nitin Mukesh
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; June 13, 2019)

Even as cinephiles gear up to watch Taapsee Pannu's home-invasion thriller Game Over, which releases this week, another Bollywood offering that tackles the subject is underway. Neil Nitin Mukesh's Bypass Road, which has been written and produced under his banner NNM films, along with co-producer Madan Paliwal, marks the directorial debut of his brother, Naman.

It was the limited number of thrillers being churned out from the industry that prompted the actor to take to writing. "The thriller genre is my forte. I started my career with one [Johnny Gaddaar, 2007]. I always wondered why there were limited filmmakers making good thrillers. Our film is a whodunit, a murder mystery with another element that we are keeping under wraps, for now."

Lamenting that he hadn't been offered a promising thriller to feature in, Neil penned the script to align with his acting sensibilities. "In fact, all the characters that I developed are ones that I can portray. At the same time, turning producer with this [film] was also an organic process."

Bypass Road sees him as a paraplegic. "It is about a man who meets with an accident and is impaired, waist-down. When he arrives in his hometown, he realises that someone who he was related to, is murdered. The film is also about one's survival instincts." Juggling between this movie and Prabhas-starrer Saaho was no mean feat. "In Saaho, I had to [look] fit. But for Bypass Road, I had to gain weight. We can't show a disabled person with six-pack [abs]. We were shooting for almost 16 hours, most of which I spent in a wheelchair."

Brother Naman graduated from being Neil's sounding board during the scripting process to emerging as the director. "We didn't plan for him to direct it. But, when I was writing it, he would come [to me] with inputs. That's when I sensed that he was the right person to direct it. Our understanding of each other's sensibilities and shortcomings helps us craft a better product."

Neil Nitin Mukesh on his Saaho experience, his first home production and how he feels to be a new dad
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 29, 2018)

On September 20, Neil Nitin Mukesh and wife Rukmini became proud parents of a daughter whom they have named Nurvi, the goddess of love. “My father (singer Nitin Mukesh) suggested the name as she was born during the Ganpati festival and ‘Nurvi’ is also mentioned during the aarti. We also wanted to continue with the family tradition of having names beginning with N,” says the new daddy.

Has his night duty started? “Not yet, since the mother and daughter are still at Rukmini’s mother’s home. I’ve seen my mom go through the phase with my younger brother Naman and my sister with her kids, so I’m prepared. Rukmini is a hands-on mother,” he avers.

They will come home on Dhanteras, November 5 and Neil is busy putting the finishing touches to his daughter’s nursery. He admits it’s still hard to believe that he’s a dad now, but when he’s around Nurvi, it’s beautiful and he gets emotional.

Neil has been working continuously since Nurvi’s birth and is hoping for a brief paternity break once he wraps up Saaho, Bypass Road and Firrkie.

The first teaser of Saaho was released on Prabhas’s birthday, October 23, and Neil who plays a pivotal role in the film, is thrilled with the feedback. They’ve finished about 65 per cent of the film, the last few days of shoot will happen in December in Hyderabad. “The action is of Hollywood standards. I felt I was on the sets of Batman and Christopher Nolan was around somewhere waiting to say ‘action.’ Kenny Bates (who was also the stunt coordinator on Pearl Harbor, The Italian Job and Transformers) is one of the finest action directors I’ve worked with. His work is all about destruction, yet he is such a gentleman,” gushes Neil, bowled over by the action-packed chases. “A lot of cars were blown up and came tumbling towards us. One flip blew my mind. While it was being filmed, we were asked to stay far away from the location. I’d only seen such a flip on screen before,” he says with awe, applauding the team for it’s brilliance and safety measures.

He’s also all praise for Prabhas who, when he learnt about Rukmini’s pregnancy during the shoot in Abu Dhabi, came to her in their hotel room to congratulate her. “We had packed up early that day and Prabhas had to go somewhere else, but he cancelled that to come and see Rukmini with flowers and a gift hamper. He is such a gentleman and bliss to work with,” raves Neil.

Meanwhile his first home production, Bypass Road, is almost 70 per cent complete. He admits he was nervous initially as his younger brother Naman is making his directorial debut with the film. “I didn’t know he had this kind of maturity. It took me back to my Johnny Gaddaar days when people would wonder if I’d be able to pull off the film. My brother is a little bit of an introvert, but he knows his job,” says Neil, gung-ho about Naman’s handling of a difficult, high risk action sequence in the thriller-drama. “One wrong step and it’d have created havoc. But Naman held his ground. He’s far more mature and calmer than me,” he acknowledges.

Meanwhile, he’s started writing his next production, a very different script from the three he has written. “I can’t reveal the genre yet but it’s something we want to explore after Bypass Road. We’re not sure yet if I will act in it and if Naman will direct it. We’ll take that call once the initial draft is ready,” Neil signs off. 

Dhaval Roy (DNA; October 31, 2018)

Neil Nitin Mukesh has got two new roles to play. The actor has turned producer and also a father. “I’m completely in love!” he exclaims about his daughter Nurvi, who was born last month. As for venturing into production, he states, “It’s been 12 years in the industry and I have always believed that creativity has no boundaries. I’m just exploring a new aspect.” The 36-year-old talks about his choice of films and the biggest film of his career, Saaho, among other things. Excerpts...

Bypass Road is your first production and your brother Naman’s directorial debut...
Naman has learnt filmmaking and worked with Abbas-Mustan and Bejoy Nambiar. I was quite certain that he would get into direction. As luck would have it, I was writing Bypass Road and he was actively involved in it. So, it had to be this one. For the first few days, I was more nervous about him turning a director than he was (laughs). My protective instincts kicked in because I have been a father figure to him. But he handled all the departments so confidently that my inhibitions were laid to rest soon.

As for me, I had been working as the director of entertainment for the banner that produced Madaari (2016). So, I wanted to turn a new leaf and get into other aspects of filmmaking. As an actor, I will follow instructions because it’s the producer’s call and the director’s vision. But, as a producer as well as an actor in the same project, I have more creative freedom and control.

How do you look at your career trajectory as an actor so far?
There have been a lot of ups and downs, but life has to have a graph; it can’t be a straight line. I have worked with some fine filmmakers like Vishal Bhardwaj, Sriram Raghavan, Madhur Bhandarkar, Sooraj Barjatya and more. I’m grateful that I’ve sustained so far.

Initially, people said I would probably not last too long because a singer’s grandson and son becoming an actor was a major question mark. I’m glad I’ve been able to carve a niche for myself, no matter how small it is. At least people know of my existence a little bit and I am happy and proud of that. It’s tough to get the roles you want, but I look forward to it in future.

Your choice of films, right from your debut movie Johnny Gaddaar (2007), has been unconventional. Is that deliberate?
I’m not trying to be rebellious in the way I have moulded my career so far. It’s just that it comes instinctively to me. No one would have expected that kind of a debut as most prefer going the conventional way — playing a good guy and doing the singing and dancing routine. I have always tried to maintain the niche. I’ve been choosy and I’m not too sure if that has taken me on the path of success. But as far as creative satisfaction goes, I’m more than happy to have done an array of roles in films like David (2013), 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), Indu Sarkar (2017), and so on.

Tell us something about your upcoming projects...
I have Saaho coming up, which is the biggest film of my career. It’s being shot on a humongous scale. I have been filming for it for the past one year and it will continue for some time. In the interim, I managed to complete Firrkie and am almost done with Bypass Road.

The biggest film of your career has come more than a decade after your debut. Has the wait been too long?
Well, I have been part of big productions like Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015), Golmaal Again (2017) and also A R Murugadoss’ Tamil film Kaththi (2009). Actually, New York and Johnny Gaddaar were very big films for me at the beginning of my career. People still remember me for my debut. But, yes, I’m super impressed with director Sujeeth. He is just 26 and is handling a mammoth film like Saaho so efficiently.

How’s fatherhood treating you?
I’m completely in love with Nurvi and I have become a kid myself (laughs). A certain amount of responsibility has suddenly kicked in. I’m nervous, excited... it’s all mixed emotions. I was a hands-on brother, uncle and now dad. My wife (Rukmini Sahay) was quite shocked that I could look after a baby so well.

Neil Nitin Mukesh and his wife Rukmini welcomed their daughter on Thursday at a SoBo hospital
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 21, 2018) 

Neil Nitin Mukesh tied the knot with Rukmini Sahay in a traditional ceremony in Udaipur on February 9, 2017. This year, on April 23, the 36-yearold actor took to social media to share an image of a stork flying with a baby with the message ‘To be delivered soon’. His ‘Now we will be THREE’ further underlined the announcement that Rukmini was in the family way. On Thursday, the couple became parents to a baby girl.

Speaking to Mirror from a SoBo hospital, Neil said that he is relieved that he had wrapped up the ongoing schedule of his home production, a yet-untitled thriller directed by younger brother Naman, earlier that morning and had no other shoot to immediately report for. “I had an intuition, even Rukmini told me on Wednesday to be ready. I just wanted to be with her and cancelled all other commitments. Luck was on our side, we made it just in time,” he laughed.

He will return to work only on September 24, after the Ganpati visarjan on Sunday. Till then it’s just the three of them. “Rukmini will be at her mother’s place for a couple of days after she is discharged. I will obviously be visiting her often, I want to spend all my time with our baby,” Neil asserted, adding that fortunately he is shooting in Alibaug so whenever he gets a couple of hours off, he plans to take a ferry back.

Earlier, speaking to Mirror (August 27), Neil had confided that both Rukmini and he were excited about the baby and nervous too, praying that they would be good parents. Have they decided on a name for their daughter yet? “We haven’t but everyone in the family has a suggestion of their own. I think the name will eventually be decided by my father (singer Nitin Mukesh). We are all extremely happy and just want to celebrate the moment. This is the 25th year of Ganesh Chaturthi for the family and my baby has come as a blessing from Bappa,” the new father admitted emotionally, impatient to get back to the new love of his life.

The siblings on Naman’s directorial debut, which features Neil, and looking forward to not just Ganpati but a new family member as well
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 27, 2018)

Mirror (July 11) had earlier reported that after completing a decade as an actor, Neil Nitin Mukesh has turned producer with an as-yet untitled thriller drama that will mark the directorial debut of younger brother Naman, taking their veteran musician-grandfather Mukesh and singer-father Nitin’s legacy forward. Excerpts from an interview with the duo:

Naman, most star kids choose to become actors, what made you opt for direction?
Naman: I have always been passionate about direction and have assisted Bejoy Nambiar and Abbas-Mastan. I’ve also worked on many ad films and web content. Having said that I am prone to stage fright and am camera shy too, so direction works for me. (Laughs) For three generations we have been entertaining the audience in different ways and will continue to do so.
Neil: I knew Naman to be an introvert so when he first told me about wanting to be a director, I was a little skeptical as the profession is so diverse from his personality and a director is in charge of 150-200 people every day on the set. When we started working on the script two years ago, we used to fight every other day. I’d urge him to be more aggressive but he wanted to handle things in his own way and I let him be. When he started putting a team together, I knew if he could sell his idea and convince people to be a part of his film, he would be able to pull it off. Technically he is very strong.

Neil, before debuting as an actor in Sriram Raghavan’s 2007 neonoir thriller, Johnny Gaddaar, you had assisted Kunal Kohli on Mujhse Dosti Karoge and worked in a production house. Did you have any tips for Naman?
Neil: I wanted to learn filmmaking before I became an actor and had slogged to get my first job as an assistant director. With Naman I didn’t know if he wanted to be an actor, singer or a director. So I suggested he go out, meet people, work on a set and try to find his own path. He took my advice and today knows exactly what he wants to do.
Naman: Filmmaking is similar to swimming, you will not learn, until you jump into the water. I did a course in mass media from a Mumbai college but nothing compares to the practical knowledge you get on a film set. I’ve also learnt a lot from Neil bhaiya, including time management, scripting and how to give a narration. He’s like my school.

Will Neil feature in the film?
Neil: Yes, I’m playing the male lead. It’s a thriller, in the same space as Johnny Gaddaar. We start two days after Ganpati sthapana on September 15 in Alibaug. The rest of the shooting will be spread over November and December with many action sequences.

Elder brothers are usually bullies…
Naman: (Cuts in with a laugh) Oh, I could go on and on about that. Neil bhaiya is 10 years elder to me and like a father figure. He has been my backbone. As for the bullying, that continues.
Neil: (Guffawing) I would tell him horror stories to scare him which is why today he refuses to see them. Our sister Neha and I always wanted a baby brother but over time Naman has become more of a friend. Yes, I bully him but I’m also very protective of him. When we had gone to Chennai for his mundan, I went berserk when the barber started shaving off his head.

Naman won’t be the baby of the house for too long with Neil becoming a father soon.
Naman: (Chuckles) Yes, I have been promoted. This year, besides becoming a director I will become a chachu too and we are completing 25 years of Ganpati sthapana at our residence.
Neil: Rukmini and I are both excited and nervous about becoming parents. I’m praying the baby is heathy and we can be good parents.

Will the father-sons trio collaborate with Nitin Mukesh lending his voice to the film?
Neil: This is a year of many firsts for both of us, so we are trying our best to persuade him. Recently we asked him to join us for the prep but he said it was too much for him to handle. His biggest contribution will be his support and blessings which we get in abundance.

Neil Nitin Mukesh teams up with Prabhas for a Hindi, Telugu, Tamil trilingual; promises it will be 2018’s biggest action film
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 22, 2017)

After featuring in Sooraj Barjatya’s Prem Ratan Dhan Payo with Salman Khan and Bejoy Nambiar’s Wazir with Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar, Neil Nitin Mukesh will next be seen in the Prabhas-starrer Saaho, directed by Sujeeth. The 35-yearold actor has already shot for the first schedule of the action thriller in Hyderabad.

“Saaho is a larger-than-life film and, post Baahubali, the entire nation is rooting for Prabhas. And where there is a mega hero, there will always be a mega villain too,” he smiles, adding that his character has many shades like every other character in the film. “It’s quite an exciting project, Sujeeth has a great vision. Saaho will be the biggest action film of 2018,” he says. The film will release in three languages, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Neil goes on to remind you that he has always experimented with his looks, whether it was in Vishal Bhardwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf, Wazir or Madhur Bhandarkar’s upcoming Indu Sarkar. “It’s a never-seen-before avatar in Saaho too. We have just started shooting and there is still a long way to go. There’s a lot of action and we will start training for it soon. I have done action before, but this takes it to another level. International stunt coordinators are being flown down to design it,” he exults.

Quiz him about his co-star and he describes Prabhas as a superb actor, a people’s person and extremely humble. “He is also producing the film and it’s great to work with him and his team,” says Neil, who will be shooting in Mumbai, Abu Dhabi and Romania too.

Before that, Neil will be seen in Rohit Shetty’s Diwali release, Golmaal Again, also featuring Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Parineeti Chopra, Tusshar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade and Kunal Kemmu. He recently shot for the comic caper in Ooty with Parineeti, and wife Rukmini, whom he tied the knot with in Udaipur in February, had accompanied him. “It was her first time on a film set. The whole team is amazing and Ooty is a beautiful place. I was a little apprehensive, wondering if Rukmini would like it but she really enjoyed herself,” he beams.

Neil will resume shooting for the fourth instalment of the hit franchise in July after the director returns from Spain where he is hosting the eighth season of the reality show, Khatron Ke Khiladi. “We will be shooting the climax. Every day on the set of Golmaal is a lot of fun. The cast and crew keep ragging each there,” he smiles. And when’s the honeymoon? “My wife keeps asking me the same question. Hopefully soon,” he says.

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; February 9, 2017)