Neil Nitin Mukesh reveals he was offered Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, his parents were upset he chose Johnny Gaddaar to debut with

Neil Nitin Mukesh opened about how despite being from a film family he had to face prejudice in Bollywood for choosing to act in movies instead of following his family’s legacy of music. The actor said people were polite but often told him that he should give up acting and follow his father and grandfather and become a singer instead.

“I have grown up watching fiction, make-believe cinema and I like to venture into a larger-than-life space. When I was younger, I used to get influenced by people’s opinions and never understood my forte or passion, but after facing many rejections at auditions, I realised that I have to do something different. Many people did not want to accept a singer’s grandson or son as an actor, and they treated me politely because of my legacy. They even felt I should sing and give up on acting. That was not encouraging,” Neil told Times of India in an interview.

The actor further opened up about choosing to be different and from the very beginning and revealed that he was offered both Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na and Johnny Gaddaar. “Thanks to the late Jhamuji (Sugandh, producer) who offered me two films — Johnny Gaddaar and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na. I had seen Sriram Raghvan’s films and loved Ek Hasina Thi. So, even though Jaane Tu… was a love story, I decided to opt for Johnny Gaddaar and the gamble paid off. I opted for this film because it was a hard-hitting role, and it would consolidate my position as a good actor from my first film. My parents were upset with my choice, but today people recognise me for Johnny Gaddaar,” the actor said.

Johnny Gaddaar got a lot of critical acclaim when it released in 2007. Neil went on to act in several other thrillers like 7 Khoon Maaf, Lafangey Parindey, New York among several others. Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, on the other hand, marked Imran Khan’s debut in Bollywood in 2008.