May be I am single, may be not: Neil Nitin Mukesh

In an exclusive interview to Spicezee, Neil Nitin Mukesh spoke about his filmy struggle, roles and confused love life.

Coming from a family of legendary singers, Neil Nitin Mukesh stunned many when he took to acting as opposed to his expected profession of a musician. The actor, who has enthralled us all with his off beat roles, is set to entertain us again as his flick ‘Aa Dekhen Zara’ readies to release this Friday. In an exclusive tete-a-tete with Ankita Shukla and Tanu Talwar of Spicezee.com, the actor spoke about his initial struggle, film roles, the Singh ‘Kinng’ of Bollywood and his confusion over his love life.What’s your film ‘Aa Dekhen Zara’ all about?

Neil: It’s a very unique film - a musical-romantic-thriller. The movie is about Ray Acharya, who comes across a magic camera possessing the power to see the future. Ray uses it for his own good and gets a little selfish. Though unintentional, his acts end up worsening the situation. The story sees him trying to solve the mess he has created. You are sharing screen with bongshell Bipasha. How was the experience? Neil: Oh, fantastic! She is a great co-star and brings lugs of positive energy to the sets. With her around, it never felt like there was some bossy senior present. Her dedication towards work is that of a person who is giving her first shot. She is very humble and down to earth. You have worked with John Abraham in New York and now his girl Bipasha, With whom do you share a better chemistry? Neil: Definitely Bipasha. My onscreen chemistry with Bipasha is very strong. We are great friends and I feel that our comfort level shows onscreen. But I am really good friends with John and he is great to work with, too. People are drawing comparisons between ‘Race’ and ‘Aa Dekhen Zara’. Neil: I don’t agree with that. Both the flicks are thrillers and that is the only similarity. Your stunts in the flick have become the talk of the town… Neil: I have always been fond of performing stunts and have tried to do all my stunts myself since my first movie. ‘Aa Dekhen Zara’ boasts of some breathtaking scenes, too. The one that needs a mention here is one scene where Bipasha pushes me off ninth floor. I was all charged up to do it under the aegis of my action director, Shyam Kaushal. While on the free fall – remember there was no support kit – images of my loved ones kept flashing before me with each passing floor! But right after when I went on top again to check out the shot, I was told that the camera was off and the scene couldn’t be canned! I had to do the scene all over again. So, you can say that I jumped off the ninth floor twice. Can you believe that? You have kept away from typical Bollywood potboilers and taken to a different genre altogether. Has it been a deliberate attempt? Neil: I am open to all genres. But I get attracted to films that are thrillers. I feel that I am very fortunate to get the roles that have been offered. Other actors rarely find such roles so early in the career. You’re currently working in Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Jail’. Tell us about your preparation for the film? Neil: Oh ‘Jail’ is a very intense film. Before the filming, both Madhur and I visited a lot of real life jails. I have worked really hard for my character. You come from a family of legendary singers. What does your father prefer you as - a singer or an actor? Neil: Definitely an actor. The only thing he tells me is that I should not let him down and give my best to whatever I do. Who is the King of Bollywood? Neil: Akshay Kumar. It’s often said that star kids have it easy. Do you agree? Neil: Not at all. I had to work my way into the industry. It has been anything but easy for me. I remember when I started out they would meet me for the sake of my family name, but no one was ready to cast me. Do you find competition in Imran and Ranbir? Neil: I don’t like the word ‘competition’, it distracts one from creativity. The film industry is a family and people have carved a niche for themselves. There’s work for everyone here, so there is no competition. You have sung a number in the film. Tell us about that? Neil: I would like to dedicate the song to Kishore da, my dad and grandfather Mukesh. Everyday we hear that recession has taken its toll on the film world. Do you feel it has hit the actors too? Neil: Recession has hit all of us. No one has escaped the current financial crunch. But our aim, being a part of cinema, is to entertain people and keep the show running. So, are you single? Neil: Well may be I am, may be I am not. I am confused…