Actor feels that role in Kaththi will be a benchmark in his career
His chocolate boy looks had filmmakers queuing up at his doorstep with love stories, but Neil Nitin Mukesh chose otherwise, debuting in Bollywood with the film, Johnny Gaddaar, in which he played a negative role. Thereafter, the films, New York and Saath Khoon Maaf, fetched him rave reviews. The actor, who was recently in the city to dub in his own voice for his first Tamil film, Kaththi, directed by A. R Murugadoss, says, “Learning the language was difficult and challenging, but a great experience.
As an actor, language shouldn’t be a barrier, and I must concentrate on doing good films.” Neil did get offers in Tamil prior to this one, but the villain’s role in Murugadoss’s script offered him scope to perform. He wasn’t looking to play a lead role, he clarifies, “But my character should speak for itself, which was why I accepted Kaththi. Murugadoss is brilliant technically, and working with him was a big opportunity for me.”
He thinks playing the villain is better than being the hero, “There is no hero without a hardcore villain,” he points out, with a smile. “It’s like being more than a hero. I think this role in Kaththi will be a benchmark in my career. It’s way different from other films.” On working with Vijay, who plays a dual role in the film, Neil says, “I have never met a nicer human being in my life. He is very down-to-earth and caring. I was happy to see him perform at close quarters. The chemistry between us in the film is sure to be a treat for his fans.” Neil expects the common man to be able to connect with the film’s theme. “There is a message in it, the script itself is like a social cause.”
Neil is eager to work on more Tamil films, pointing to all the ‘great stories’ emerging from the south. “The working style here is very healthy and technically strong,” he adds. He would like to do another film with Vijay as he shares a comfort level with him. He is a big fan of Suriya’s, having watched all his films. “Every actor’s dream is to work with Shankar,” he adds. Neil’s friends in the Tamil industry include Vikram with whom he worked in David.
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