Neil Nitin Mukesh: The perception of an actor is based on his commercial success – Times of India

Back in 2007, Neil Nitin Mukesh made an unconventional Bollywood debut with Johnny Gaddaar. Over the years, he has not just acted in films, but has also written scripts and produced his first film Bypass Road. As an actor, he says that he strives to strike a balance between commercial projects and content-driven cinema.

“I believe that in showbiz, I have to be a little sensible and strike a balance. The truth is that, not just in our industry, but among the audience as well, the general perception of an actor is based on his commercial success. While I love being a part of a film like Jail, I will also do entertainers like Players and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. Similarly, I want to do a big-budget, pan-India film like Saaho and also produce and act in a film like Bypass Road. By doing this, I can be a part of successful films and at the same time explore a lot more,” explains Neil.

Through his choice of cinema, one can also gauge that Neil enjoys being a part of thrillers. In fact, his next, Firrkie, starring Jackie Shroff and Kay Kay Menon, belongs to the same genre. The actor says, “I feel that the thriller genre, which has a great scope, hasn’t been really tapped well in Bollywood. There are various sub-genres, like psychological thrillers, political thrillers, horror thrillers and so on. Why aren’t we exploring those? We are still remaking films instead of coming up with original ideas and content. In Bollywood, we have original ideas, but I feel that we prefer to play it safe. This is why I am trying to explore something that I have faith in.”

Reflecting on his unconventional debut, he says, “I think Johnny Gaddaar was the correct way to probably

explain to people how I look at films, how important the language of cinema is for me, and as audience and artistes we need to progress with time. I am glad I didn’t limit myself as an actor back then and don’t do that even now.”