Film family scion reveals father declined to launch him, rejected by Aditya Chopra for being ‘too young’; still looks for work

At 14, Neil Nitin Mukesh’s hopes of being launched by his father were crushed when Nitin Mukesh explained the family’s financial realities. Neil recalled, “My dad very politely told me: ‘I know you want to be an actor. But I have other responsibilities. I have to get your sister married and fund your younger brother’s education. With all this, I won’t be able to produce your film. I think you should start looking for work.’ We were not financially very well off then.”

Uncertain about his next step, Neil decided to take matters into his own hands. “I stole my dad’s contact diary and dialed Anupam Kher. He was more like my mentor. I joined his acting school, where Hrithik Roshan, Uday Chopra, and Abhishek Bachchan were also preparing for their debuts. I was just 15, and Anupam uncle initially said I was too young. But after a request from my father, he took me in.”

Later, during college, Neil Nitin Mukesh tried reaching out to industry insiders himself. “I used to call Aditya Chopra from a PCO booth during lunch, hoping he would pick up. I would ask him for work every day. He told me I was too young. But one day, he called me and asked me to assist on Mujhse Dosti Karoge.”

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Eventually, Neil made his acting debut in 2007 with Johnny Gaddaar, earning a Filmfare nomination for Best Male Debut. He went on to star in films like New York, 7 Khoon Maaf, and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.

Despite his film lineage, Neil Nitin Mukesh insists nothing came easy. “I still go around asking for work. I am hungry for it, and I’m not ashamed. I have to provide for my family and educate my child. I come from a middle-class family and still consider myself one.”