Friday, September 21, 2007

Neil Nitin Mukesh, who plays Vikram in Sriram Raghavan's Johnny Gaddaar, worked as a child artiste in Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharni. Now he is a confident young man, with a smile to kill for, and, of course, a face that makes women go weak in the knees. This hunk is all set to rock Bollywood with his confidence. We manage to speak with him on his life.

Tell us something about Johny Gaddar?
The movie is about five friends who want to make quick money. I am playing the character of Vikram, the most ambitious, because of whom the others get into a soup. One of the five friends turns out to be a crook, and another is murdered. Everyone tries to solve the mystery of this murdered man, and there is huge twist towards the end of the movie.

What was it like, working with Rimi Sen?
Rimi is fabulous - a very composed actress. She has been in the industry for over three years, and that makes her a senior. She is extremely helpful, and a good human being.

Tell us about yourself?
I had a normal childhood, like most other children. I graduated from HR College, with a B.Com degree. At my father's insistence, I have been very focused on my career since I was in the 12th standard. I did a 4-month workshop with Kishore Namit Kapoor and also at Anupam Kher's institute, during vacations. I also assisted Aditya Chopra in his movie 'Mujhse Dosti Karoge', when I was in college. I did receive offers as a lead actor earlier, but I did not want to debut with a love story. I chose to wait. Then Sriram offered me this movie soon - I was impressed with the script, which demanded an ensemble cast.

Does this mean that you will not do any love stories?
Nothing like that, it's just that I did not want a set image as a lover boy. People learn a lot of things before coming into the industry. I chose to learn how to act. I am confident that people will remember me on the basis of my work.

You come from a family of singers, yet you chose to be an actor.
I have always wanted to be an actor. It has been my childhood dream. I have also worked in Yash Raj's movie 'Vijay' and Vimal Kumar's 'Jaise Karni Wiasi Bharni' as a child artiste when I was around 4 years old. Yash Raj uncle used to give me a box of chocolates everyday. I loved my job because of those chocolates at the end of the day. When I played the role of Govinda as a child in 'Jaise Karni Waise Bharni', I was appreciated more than Govinda and that left an impression on my mind. If I had become a singer, people would have expected a lot more from me because of my father and grandfather.

Do you regret not being a singer?
No, not at all. My grandfather and father entertained people by singing and I do that with my acting.

Did your father ever force you to become a singer?
Never. He is the most supportive father, guiding me in the right direction. I had the freedom to choose whatever career I wanted, wherever my interest lay. He is not a friend, but a father. He never imposed anything on me, and, at the launch of the movie's music, he was more excited than I was.

Actors take to singing quite a bit these days. Do you think you will consider such a step?
Of course (laughs). I am not that bad and you know the background I come from. I will consider singing if the script of the movie demands it.

What are your future plans?
After this movie I am doing 'Tera Kya Hoga Johnny', which is a Sudhir Mishra movie. The 'Johnny' factor in the title is a co-incidence, and it is not a sequel to my first movie. Apart from that I have signed two movies with Adlabs, but I would not like to discuss it now.