Exclusive: From a ‘Gaddaar’ to a royal, Neil Nitin Mukesh on how Prem Ratan Dhan Payo reinvents him

Neil Nitin Mukesh is happy playing the villain. After bagging the ‘Best Actor In A Negative Role’ at the South Indian International Movie Awards for Tamil movie Kaththi recently, the actor is all set for his next release Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, which is slated to release on November 12.

He plays the role of Salman Khan’s step-brother, Ajay Singh, who is a rebel with a cause. “I essay a very layered and complex character who is always vying for attention,” says the actor, who had debuted in Bollywood with the acclaimed thriller Johnny Gaddaar. Neil learnt stunts for the movie from British stuntman of Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone fame Greg Powell. Having undergone training in sword fighting for the movie, he did all his stunts himself and did not use a body double. “My look in the movie is very imperial and I had to go from bulky to lean. I had to pierce my ears too,” he says with a smile.

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Neil says, will reinvent the way his fans perceive him. “Working for a Sooraj Barjatya film was a childhood dream of mine. I hope the film is my lucky mascot and I can do more challenging cinema in the years to come,” he says.

For him, his director is a cinematic mastermind, a story-maker who brings cinema to life. “Barjatyaji never restricts the creative bent of mind of an artist but he has a knack for attaining the best from each of his actors,” he says. On his debut on-screen pairing with Salman, the actor says he’s a rockstar in all aspects.  “He has been a role model who has guided me on various occasions like a true brother would do,” says Neil, who is certain that Prem Ratan Dhan Payo will be as colossal as Maine Pyaar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and Hum Saath Saath Hain.

Commenting on rumours that he will be doing a film with Baahubali star Prabhas, Neil says the actor’s brother had visited him in Mumbai last month and they had exchanged a couple of ideas.

“Let’s hope they bear fruit soon. For me, the script needs to be exciting enough. However, I would like to work with directors, big or small does not matter, who have a brilliant story to tell,” says the actor, who is not afraid of being typecast in the industry.

He says typecast exist in every industry and he has always wanted to be a master of one trade and not a jack of all. “Having said that, I would also like to try my hands at different genres such as comedy and romance provided the right kind of script comes along.”

He is glad to be getting opportunities to portray both the hero and the villain in the film industry. “Not many people today can actually do that and get into the skin of the characters with equal panache. I can. Cinema is an art and if you want to be the MF Hussain of the art world, your canvas needs to tell a unique story,” he says.

Neil feels every role needs to be different from the previous one. “The day you tell yourself that this is the genre that you belong to, you are bound for failure. An actor is always learning and unlearning because, fine art is all about a constantly changing module that no one can ever perfect,” the onscreen baddie signs off.

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