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Neil Nitin Mukesh
Mukesh promoting 3G in 2013
Born
Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand Mathur

(1982-01-15) 15 January 1982 (age 42)
Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India
OccupationActor
Years active1988–1989
2002–present
Spouse
Rukmini Sahay
​
(m. 2017)​
[1]
Children1
FatherNitin Mukesh
RelativesMukesh (grandfather)

Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand Mathur (born 15 January 1982) is an Indian actor, producer and screenwriter known for his work in Hindi films. He is the son of playback singer Nitin Mukesh and grandson of singer Mukesh. He debuted as a child artist in Vijay (1988) and Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii (1989), and would go on to make his full-fledged debut playing the title role in Johnny Gaddaar (2007). Since then, he has starred in New York (2009), Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015), Golmaal Again (2017), and Saaho (2019). He made his Tamil film debut with Kaththi (2014) and Telugu film debut with Kavacham (2018).

Early life and background

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Neil was born as Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand Mathur on 15 January 1982 in Bombay (presently Mumbai), Maharashtra, India.[2][3] His father is Bollywood playback singer Nitin Mukesh, son of veteran singer Mukesh.[4] His paternal grandmother was a Gujarati Shrimali Brahmin while his paternal grandfather was a Mathur Kayastha from Delhi.[5] He was named by Lata Mangeshkar after the American astronaut Neil Armstrong.[6] As a child, he appeared in Vijay (1988) and Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii (1989) as the younger versions of Rishi Kapoor and Govinda respectively.

Neil was educated at HR College in Mumbai, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in commerce[7] at his father's insistence. He then decided to pursue a career in acting, despite being born into a family of singers.[4] In an interview with The Times of India, the actor said "singing is my hobby, but acting is my passion. A passion that even my grand-dad harboured. So, while my father continued his legacy and became a singer, I pursued his other passion. I am living his dream".[4] Neil trained at a four-month workshop at the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute, and received training from actor Anupam Kher.[7]

2007–10: Debut and breakthrough

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Mukesh made his debut in Sriram Raghavan's 2007 thriller Johnny Gaddaar. His portrayal of a crook received positive reviews from critics[8] and earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama described Neil as a "complete natural": "The youngster carries off the part with dexterity. There's just one word to describe his performance – superb!"[9] However, despite critical acclaim, the film failed to do well at the box office.[10]

His first 2009 film was the science-fiction thriller Aa Dekhen Zara. Co-starring with Bipasha Basu, he played a struggling photographer who inherits a camera (whose photos predict the future) from his scientist grandfather. The film was a critical and commercial failure.[11] His performance received mixed reviews from critics; while Nikhat Kazmi described him as charming and effortless,[12] Raja Sen of Rediff.com said he "seems to have cleverly picked another character that doesn't require him to act much beyond the fish-out-of-water routine".[13]

Katrina, Neil and Kabir
Mukesh with Katrina Kaif and Kabir Khan on the sets of New York, 2009

His major breakthrough came with Kabir Khan's drama thriller New York with John Abraham, Katrina Kaif and Irrfan Khan. Exploring the aftermath of the 9/11, the film was a critical and commercial success, earning over ₹610 million (US$7.3 million) worldwide.[14] His performance was praised by critics, earning him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor.[15] Subhash K Jha wrote: "Neil as the sophomore with stars and stripes in his eyes is fully convincing credible and supportive of the two central performances."[16]

His final film of the year was Madhur Bhandarkar's Jail, a drama revolving around the cruel reality faced by prisoners in Indian jails. The film's aesthetically shot nude scene (demonstrating the torture Mukesh's character received in jail) and a masturbation scene sparked controversy;[17] as a result, the latter scene was shortened.[18] Mukesh remarked, "My nude or masturbation scenes are not for titillation. It's a very practical need in the script. My character is in jail without sex for 2-1/2 years. What does he do? He naturally seeks pleasure by himself."[18] A commercial failure,[19] the film and his performance were praised by critics.[20] Taran Adarsh wrote: "Not only does Neil Nitin Mukesh deliver his finest performance to date, but the performance would easily rank amongst the finest this year. He conveys the pathos and helplessness that this character demands with amazing understanding. He deserves all praise for his extra-ordinary portrayal."[21]

In 2010, Mukesh featured in Pradeep Sarkar's action drama Lafangey Parindey with Deepika Padukone. While the film received mixed reviews, his portrayal of a fighter was appreciated by critics.[22] According to Sify's Sonia Chopra, Neil's "underplayed acting style complements the character's sketch perfectly".[23] Blessy Chettiar of Daily News and Analysis noted: "He looks great in every frame and carries off [the character's] rugged demeanour with panache."[24] Lafangey Parindey was a moderate commercial success, with a worldwide revenue of ₹310 million (US$3.7 million).[25] Neil then starred in Sudhir Mishra's dramatic thriller Tera Kya Hoga Johnny.[26]

He has also been a brand ambassador to one of the leading clothing brands of the country, Oxemberg, in April 2010.[27]

2011–present: Recent work

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The following year Mukesh starred in Vishal Bhardwaj's 7 Khoon Maaf, a black comedy-drama (based on Ruskin Bond's short story Susanna's Seven Husbands)[28] featuring Priyanka Chopra as a woman who murders her seven husbands in an unending quest for love. The actor was cast as Chopra's first husband, Major Edwin Rodriques, an arrogant, jealous and possessive army officer who lost a leg in Punjab's Operation Blue Star in 1984. The film premiered at the 61st Berlin Film Festival;[29] it was a commercial failure, receiving mixed reviews from critics, but Mukesh's performance was praised. Nikhat Kazmi wrote that he "excelled as the brute."[30]

In 2012, Mukesh starred in Abbas–Mustan's Players as part of an ensemble cast including Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Bobby Deol. The film was a remake of the 2003 Hollywood heist thriller The Italian Job;[31] it was also a commercial failure,[32] receiving mixed to negative reviews from critics (as did Mukesh's performance). Subhash K Jha said he "brings a mean menacing tone to the villainy."[33] And according to Rediff.com's Sukanya Verma, Mukesh "mistakes sinister for superficial, resulting in a truly phony performance."[34]

In 2013, Mukesh worked in three films, though all were commercially unsuccessful.[35] His first release was Bejoy Nambiar's action-drama David, in which he played a gangster whose boss controls the Asian community in 1970's London. The actor said his character's dual personality appealed to him: "Here was this hardcore, extremely violent gangster and on the other hand, my director wanted me to show the emotional and romantic side to him too."[36] The film received mixed reviews, but Mukesh's performance was critically acclaimed.[37] Writing for The Times of India, Madhureeta Mukherjee described it as "restrained and powerful"[38] and CNN-IBN's Rajeev Masand said that Mukesh is "nicely understated".[39]

He next appeared opposite Sonal Chauhan in Eros International's horror film 3G. Filmed in Fiji, the film told the story of how the duo face supernatural occurrences when they buy a 3G-enabled phone.[40] The film was not well received by critics.[41] In a review for Rediff.com, Ankur Pathak said that Mukesh is "aggressively over the top" and added that his "body language is consistently uncomfortable."[42] He also appeared in Susi Ganeshan's crime thriller Shortcut Romeo with Ameesha Patel and Puja Gupta. The picture ran into trouble when it got a limited release by its producers, and emerged as a major commercial failure.[43][44] On his performance, Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India said: "Neil performs well as always, he looks good (he needs to tone down his physicality for such roles) and proves that actors like him need better scripts to justify their true potential."[45]

Mukesh has completed work on two films – Prerna Wadhwan's romantic drama Ishqeria, which will see him star opposite Richa Chadda,[46] and Manish Vatsalya's Dussehra, where Mukesh will feature as an encounter specialist with Tena Desae.[47] He debuted in Tamil cinema with AR Murugadoss's Kaththi. He also acted in Sooraj R. Barjatya's 2015 family drama Prem Ratan Dhan Payo with Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor.[48] He also made a guest appearance in Wazir.

In November 2018, he turned producer and started filming Bypass Road, a thriller-drama film directed by his brother Naman Nitin Mukesh and written by himself. The film is scheduled to be released on 1 November 2019.[49][50]

In 2019, he appeared in Saaho, a multilingual film directed by Sujeeth, playing an antagonist Jai aka Ashok Chakravarty.[51]

Personal life

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In 2017, Mukesh married Rukmini Sahay in a traditional Hindu wedding arranged by the familial elders.

In April 2018, Neil Nitin Mukesh announced via Instagram that the couple were expecting their first child. A daughter, Nurvi Neil Mukesh, was born on 20 September 2018.[52]

Other ventures

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Social activism

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In 2009, Mukesh started an NGO to support and help needy women by providing them with food, shelter and vocational training to support themselves. The philanthropic project was named for his grandmother, Saral Devi Mathur. The actor said: "I have read about women getting oppressed, exploited by men and other family members. They get sold like commodities and are driven into prostitution. I'm always pained to hear all this and at the back of my mind I had thought that I would start an organisation to support such women."[53] In 2012, he joined with Volkswagen in support of an environmental campaign called "Think Blue", an initiative increasing awareness of water scarcity and other pressing ecological issues.[54]

Award ceremony participation

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Mukesh participated in the Hiru Golden Film Awards 2016 in Sri Lanka as a special guest, along with Bollywood actors such as Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, and actresses Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and Karishma Kapoor.[55]

Filmography

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Year Film Role Notes
1988 Vijay Young Vikram Child artist
1989 Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii Young Ravi Verma Child artist
2002 Mujhse Dosti Karoge — Assistant director
2007 Johnny Gaddaar Vikram / Johnny G Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut
2009 Aa Dekhen Zara Ray Acharya
New York Omar Aijaz Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor
Jail Parag Dixit
2010 Lafangey Parindey Nandan Kamthekar
Tera Kya Hoga Johnny Parvez
2011 7 Khoon Maaf Major Edwin Rodriques
2012 Players Spider
2013 David David and his son
3G Sam
Shortcut Romeo Sooraj
2014 Kaththi Shirag Nominated  – SIIMA Award for Actor in a Negative Role – Tamil

Tamil Film

2015 Prem Ratan Dhan Payo Yuvraj Ajay Singh
2016 Wazir Wazir
2017 Indu Sarkar Sanjay Gandhi [56]
Golmaal Again Nikhil
2018 Ishqeria Raghav
Dassehra Rudra Pratap Singh
Kavacham Vikramaditya Telugu film
2019 Saaho Jai / Ashok Chakravarthy Simultaneously shot in Telugu
Bypass Road Vikram Kapoor Also producer
2023 Bandra [57]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Film Result
2008 International Indian Film Academy Awards Star Debut of the Year – Male Johnny Gaddaar Nominated
Zee Cine Awards Special Award (Critics) Won
Screen Awards Most Promising Newcomer – Male Nominated
Stardust Awards Superstar of Tomorrow – Male Nominated
Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards Best Actor in a Negative Role Won
Filmfare Awards Best Male Debut Nominated
2010 Best Supporting Actor New York Nominated
2012 Screen Awards Best Supporting Actor 7 Khoon Maaf Nominated
2015 South Indian International Movie Awards Best Actor in a Negative Role Kaththi Won
2017 IIFA Awards Best Villain Wazir Nominated
2020 Zee Cine Awards Telugu Favorite Supporting Actor - Male Saaho Won

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "PHOTOS: Inside Neil Nitin Mukesh's wedding". Rediff.com. 10 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  2. ^ "He didn't get GOT but here's a Neil Nitin Mukesh primer". Hindustan Times. 14 November 2015. Archived from the original on 4 December 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
  3. ^ India TV Entertainment Desk (15 January 2019). "Happy Birthday Neil Nitin Mukesh: Check out ten best family moments of Golmaal Again star". India TV. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Naval Shetye, Aakanksha (11 September 2007). "Neil Nitin Mukesh's Bollywood break". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Exclusive : Neil Nitin Mukesh & Nitin Mukesh In Conversation With Karan Thapar". YouTube. India Today. 23 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Celebs named after famous people". Mid-Day. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  7. ^ a b Mulchandani, Amrita (16 June 2008). "I am in Love: Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  8. ^ Kazmi, Nikhat (29 September 2007). "Johnny Gaddaar". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 July 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  9. ^ Adarsh, Taran (28 September 2007). "Johnny Gaddaar". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  10. ^ "Dil Dosti, Johnny Gaddaar open poorly". Rediff.com. 1 October 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  11. ^ "Dashavtaar Opens to a Poor Response". Box Office India. 18 April 2009. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  12. ^ Kazmi, Nikhat (26 March 2009). "Aa Dekhen Zara". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  13. ^ Sen, Raja (27 March 2009). "Shot in the dark". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  14. ^ "Box Office 2009". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  15. ^ "Nominations for 55th Idea Filmfare Awards 2009". Bollywood Hungama. 11 February 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  16. ^ K Jha, Subhash. "'New York', a remarkable effort". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  17. ^ "Nude scene in 'Jail' won't offend moms: Neil Mukesh". Mid-Day. 21 October 2009. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  18. ^ a b K Jha, Subhash (28 October 2009). "Neil Mukesh's masturbation scene in Jail shortened". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  19. ^ Kazmi, Nikhat (16 November 2009). "Ranbir-Katrina jodi strikes gold at Box Office". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  20. ^ Malani, Gaurav (6 November 2009). "Jail: Movie Review". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  21. ^ Adarsh, Taran (6 November 2009). "Jail". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 21 May 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  22. ^ Guha, Aniruddha (20 August 2010). "Review: Lafangey Parindey is complete paisa vasool". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  23. ^ Chopra, Sonia. "Movie Review: Lafangey Parindey". Sify. Archived from the original on 28 October 2014. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  24. ^ Chettiar, Blessy (20 August 2010). "Review: Lafangey Parindey is a tribute to Mumbai's spirit". Daily News and Analysis. Archived from the original on 20 November 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  25. ^ "Box Office 2010". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 14 October 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  26. ^ "Failures keep you grounded: Neil Nitin Mukesh". NDTV. 9 December 2010. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  27. ^ "Neil Nitin chosen as brand ambassador for Oxemberg suitings". 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  28. ^ "Priyanka's guide to losing your beloved in 7 ways!". The Indian Express. 15 February 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  29. ^ Chhabra, Aseem (18 February 2011). "7 Khoon Maaf premieres at Berlin Film Fest". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  30. ^ Kazmi, Nikhat (17 February 2011). "7 Khoon Maaf movie review". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  31. ^ "Players different from the original movie: Bipasha". Hindustan Times. 27 December 2011. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  32. ^ "Agneepath Bumper Opening But Collections Fall Quickly". Box Office India. 21 January 2012. Archived from the original on 2 July 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  33. ^ K Jha, Subhash (7 January 2012). "Subhash K. Jha speaks about Players". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  34. ^ Verma, Sukanya (6 January 2012). "Review: Players is lacklustre and unimaginative". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  35. ^ "Don't make mistake of writing me off: Neil Nitin Mukesh". Zee News. 25 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  36. ^ Roy, Priyanka (31 January 2013). "David: star and style". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  37. ^ "Neil Nitin Mukesh's David gets mixed reviews". Hindustan Times. 1 February 2013. Archived from the original on 21 October 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  38. ^ Mukherjee, Madhureeta (1 February 2013). "David". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  39. ^ Masand, Rajeev (2 February 2013). "'David' Review: Much to appreciate but formidable length mars its chances". CNN-IBN. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  40. ^ Sharma, Garima (3 March 2013). "Neil Nitin Mukesh, Sonal Chauhan promote 3G". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  41. ^ "'3G – A Killer Connection' Critics Review: A Big 'NO'". International Business Times. 15 March 2013. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  42. ^ Pathak, Ankur (15 March 2013). "Review: 3G only offers cheap thrills". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  43. ^ Tuteja, Joginder (25 June 2013). "Neil-Ameesha, Mithun-Suniel starrers sabotaged?". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 22 October 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  44. ^ "Box Office Earnings 28/06/13 – 04/07/13 (Nett Collections in Ind Rs)". Box Office India. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  45. ^ Mukherjee, Madhureeta (20 June 2013). "Shortcut Romeo". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  46. ^ Parkar, Shaheen (25 January 2014). "Neil Nitin Mukesh starrer 'Ishqeria' delayed yet again". Mid-Day. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  47. ^ "Neil Nitin Mukesh an encounter specialist in 'Dussehra'". Zee News. 26 March 2013. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  48. ^ "'Johnny Gaddar' inspired my look in 'Kaththi': Neil Nitin Mukesh". Zee News. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  49. ^ "Neil Nitin Mukesh's debut production venture 'Bypass Road' gets an auspicious start". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  50. ^ "Neil Nitin Mukesh thriller 'Bypass Road' to release in November". The New Indian Express. 12 August 2019. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  51. ^ "Mandira Bedi and Neil Nitin Mukesh in negative roles – Saaho: Interesting facts about the Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor starrer – The Times of India". The Times of India. 15 September 2017. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  52. ^ Team, DNA Web (23 September 2018). "Neil Nitin Mukesh welcomes daughter Nurvi Neil Mukesh home, See pics". DNA India.
  53. ^ "Neil champions the cause of women". DNA India. Archived from the original on 25 December 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  54. ^ "Neil supports environment awareness campaign". The Indian Express. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  55. ^ "Hiru Golden Film Awards". hirugoldenfilmawards.hirutv.lk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
  56. ^ "Neil Nitin Mukesh to play Sanjay Gandhi in Madhur Bhandarkar's next". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  57. ^ "Aishwarya Lekshmi excited for Dileep and Tamannaah Bhatia's captivating chemistry in 'Bandra'". The Times of India. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
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