Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand Mathur (born 15 January 1982) is an Indian film actor, producer, and writer best known for his work in Bollywood. Born to singer Nitin Mukesh and Mukesh's grandson, he made his debut as a child artist in Vijay (1988) and Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii (1989). (1989). As an adult, he starred in Johnny Gaddaar (2007) and has since appeared in New York (2009), Kaththi (2014), Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015), Golmaal Again (2017), and Saaho (2019). Kaththi (2014) was his Tamil debut, and Kavacham was his Telugu debut (2018).
Background and early life
Mukesh was born on 15 January 1982 in Mumbai, Maharashtra as Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand Mathur. Nitin Mukesh, the son of veteran singer Mukesh, is his father, a Bollywood playback singer. His paternal grandmother was a Gujarati Shrimali Brahmin, and his paternal grandfather was a Delhi-based Mathur Kayastha. Lata Mangeshkar named him after American astronaut Neil Armstrong. As a child, he played the younger versions of Rishi Kapoor and Govinda in the films Vijay (1988) and Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii (1989).
Mukesh attended HR College in Mumbai, where he earned a bachelor's degree in commerce at the insistence of his father. Despite being born into a singing family, he decided to pursue a career in acting. In an interview with The Times of India, the actor stated that "singing is my hobby, but acting is my passion. A passion that even my grandfather harbored." "So, while my father continued his legacy and became a singer, I pursued his other passion. I am living his dream," he added. Neil received training from actor Anupam Kher during a four-month workshop at the Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute.
Debut and breakthrough in 2007-10
Mukesh made his film debut in the 2007 thriller Johnny Gaddaar, directed by Sriram Raghavan. His portrayal of a thief received positive reviews from critics and earned him a nomination for Best Male Debut at the Filmfare Awards. Neil was described as a "complete natural" by Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama: "The youngster carries off the part with dexterity. There's just one word to describe his performance - superb!" However, despite critical acclaim, the film failed to perform well at the box office.
Aa Dekhen Zara, a science-fiction thriller, was his first film in 2009. He co-starred with Bipasha Basu as a struggling photographer who inherits from his scientist grandfather a camera (the photos of which predict the future). The film was both a critical and commercial flop. While Nikhat Kazmi described him as charming and effortless, Raja Sen of Rediff.com said he "seems to have cleverly chosen another character that doesn't require him to act much beyond the fish-out-of-water routine."
Kabir Khan's drama thriller New York, starring John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, and Irrfan Khan, was his big break. The film, which explored the aftermath of 9/11, was a critical and commercial success, grossing over 610 million (US$7.6 million) worldwide. Critics praised his performance, and he was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. "Neil as the sophomore with stars and stripes in his eyes is fully convincing credible and supportive of the two central performances," wrote Subhash K Jha.
Madhur Bhandarkar's Jail, a drama about the harsh reality of prisoners in Indian jails, was his final film of the year. The film's aesthetically shot nude scene (demonstrating Mukesh's character's torture in jail) and masturbation scene sparked controversy; as a result, the latter scene was cut. "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," Mukesh said. Although the film was a commercial failure, critics praised Mukesh's performance. "Not only does Neil Nitin Mukesh deliver his finest performance to date, but the performance would easily rank amongst the finest this year," Taran Adarsh wrote. "He conveys the pathos and helplessness that this character requires with amazing understanding. He deserves all praise for his extra-ordinary portrayal."
Mukesh appeared alongside Deepika Padukone in Pradeep Sarkar's action drama Lafangey Parindey in 2010. While the film received mixed reviews, critics praised his portrayal of a fighter. Neil's "underplayed acting style complements the character's sketch perfectly," according to Sify's Sonia Chopra. According to Blessy Chettiar of Daily News and Analysis, "he looks great in every frame and carries off [the character's] rugged demeanour with panache." Lafangey Parindey was a moderate commercial success, grossing 310 million (US$3.9 million) worldwide. After that, Neil appeared in Sudhir Mishra's dramatic thriller Tera Kya Hoga Johnny.
In April 2010, he became a brand ambassador for Oxemberg, one of the country's leading clothing brands.
2011 to the present: Recent work
The following year, Mukesh appeared in Vishal Bhardwaj's 7 Khoon Maaf, a black comedy-drama starring Priyanka Chopra as a woman who murders her seven husbands in an unending quest for love (based on Ruskin Bond's short story Susanna's Seven Husbands). Major Edwin Rodriques, an arrogant, jealous, and possessive army officer who lost a leg in Punjab's Operation Blue Star in 1984, was played by the actor. The film was a commercial failure, with mixed reviews from critics, but Mukesh's performance was praised. According to Nikhat Kazmi, he "excelled as the brute."
Mukesh appeared in Abbas-Players Mustan's in 2012, alongside Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, and Bobby Deol. The film was a remake of the 2003 Hollywood heist thriller The Italian Job; it was also a commercial failure, with critics giving it mixed to negative reviews (as did Mukesh's performance). According to Subhash K Jha, he "brings a mean menacing tone to the villainy," and Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com says Mukesh "mistakes sinister for superficial, resulting in a truly phony performance."
Mukesh worked in three films in 2013, all of which were commercial failures. Bejoy Nambiar's action-drama David, in which he played a gangster whose boss controls the Asian community in 1970s London, was his first film. The actor explained that 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 as well." The film received mixed reviews, but Mukesh's performance was praised. Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India described it as "restrained and powerful," and CNN-Rajeev IBN's Masand described Mukesh as "nicely understated."
He then starred in Eros International's horror film 3G alongside Sonal Chauhan. The film, which was shot in Fiji, told the story of a couple who encounter supernatural occurrences after purchasing a 3G-enabled phone. Critics were unimpressed with the film. Ankur Pathak, writing for Rediff.com, described Mukesh as "aggressively over the top," adding that his "body language is consistently uncomfortable." He also appeared in Susi Ganeshan's crime thriller Shortcut Romeo, alongside Ameesha Patel and Puja Gupta. The film ran into trouble when its producers gave it a limited release, and it ended up being a major commercial failure. "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," wrote Madhureeta Mukherjee of The Times of India of his performance.
Mukesh has finished work on two films: Prerna Wadhwan's romantic drama Ishqeria, in which he will star alongside Richa Chadda, and Manish Vatsalya's Dussehra, in which he will play an encounter specialist alongside Tena Desae. He made his Tamil film debut in AR Murugadoss' Kaththi. He also appeared alongside Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor in Sooraj R. Barjatya's 2015 family drama Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. He also appeared as a guest star in Wazir.
In November 2018, he became a producer and began filming Bypass Road, a thriller-drama written by himself and directed by his brother Naman Nitin Mukesh. The film is set to be released on November 1, 2019.
In 2019, he played the antagonist Jai aka Ashok Chakravarty in Sujeeth's multilingual film Saaho.
Private life
Mukesh married Rukmini Sahay in a traditional Hindu wedding planned by the family elders in 2017.
Neil Nitin Mukesh announced on Instagram in April 2018 that the couple was expecting their first child. Nurvi Neil Mukesh, a daughter, was born on September 20, 2018.
Other business ventures
Social action
Mukesh founded an NGO in 2009 to support and assist needy women by providing them with food, shelter, and vocational training to help them support themselves. Saral Devi Mathur, his grandmother, inspired the philanthropic project. "I've read about women being oppressed, exploited by men and other family members, being sold like commodities, and being driven into prostitution," he said.
Participation in an award ceremony
Mukesh appeared as a special guest at the Hiru Golden Film Awards 2016 in Sri Lanka, alongside Bollywood actors Sunil Shetty and Jackie Shroff, as well as actresses Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit, and Karishma Kapoor.
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Vijay | Young Vikram | |
| 1989 | Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii | Young Ravi Verma | |
| 2002 | Mujhse Dosti Karoge | Assistant Director | |
| 2007 | Johnny Gaddaar | Vikram / Johnny G (Bollywood Debut) | Nominated – Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut |
| 2009 | Aa Dekhen Zara | Ray Acharya | |
| New York | Omar | 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 Iqbal | |
| 3G | Sam | ||
| Shortcut Romeo | Sooraj | ||
| 2014 | Kaththi | Chirag | Tamil filmSIIMA Award for Actor in a Negative Role – Tamil |
| 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 | |
| TBA | Firkkie | TBA | Delayed |
| 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 |
| Bio | |
| Real Name | Neil Nitin Mukesh Chand Mathur |
| Nickname | Neil |
| Profession | Actor |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters- 172 cm in meters- 1.72 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 8” |
| Weight (approx.) | in Kilograms- 69 kg in Pounds- 152 lbs |
| Body Measurements (approx.) | - Chest: 38 Inches - Waist: 32 inches - Biceps: 14 Inches |
| Eye Colour | Dark brown |
| Hair Colour | Brown |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 15 January 1982 |
| Age (as in 2022) | 40 Years |
| Birth Place | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Zodiac sign/Sun sign | Capricorn |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| School | Greenlawns High School, Mumbai |
| College | H.R. College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai |
| Educational Qualifications | Bachelor of Commerce |
| Debut | Johnny Gaddaar (2007) |
| Family | Father- Nitin Mukesh (Singer) Mother- Nishi Mukesh Brothers- Neil Nitin Mukesh (Younger) Sisters- N/A |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Hobbies | Singing and playing piano |
| Controversies | He had some verbal fight with Shah Rukh Khan anchoring at the Filmfare awards. |
| Favourite Things | |
| Favourite Food | Toblerone, milk cake, jaleb, gulab jamun,sea bass, salmon and steamed pomfret |
| Girls, Affairs and More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife/Spouse | Rukmini Sahay (Worked in Aviation Industry) |
| Marriage Date | 9 February 2017 |
| Marriage Place | Udaipur |
| Children | Daughter- Nurvi (born in 2018) Son- None |
| Style Quotient | |
| Money Factor | |
| Salary | Not Known |
| Net Worth | Not Known |
