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As Neil Nitin Mukesh gears up for his web debut with Hai Junoon, the actor opens up about the harsh realities of Bollywood.
Neil Nitin Mukesh opens up on Bollywood’s toxic culture, fading friendships, and personal struggles as he preps for his digital debut in web series Hai Junoon.
As actor Neil Nitin Mukesh prepares for his digital debut with the web series Hai Junoon, he’s also opening a deeply personal chapter—one that strips away the gloss of showbiz to reveal its rougher edges. In a candid conversation with SCREEN, the actor reflected on the highs and lows of his cinematic journey, admitting that while Bollywood has given him many opportunities, it’s also exposed him to a side of the industry that he describes as “toxic.”
“It does happen, and it gets to a point where it becomes toxic,” Neil said, speaking of the unwelcome undercurrents in the industry. “I’ve seen it a lot, and I still see it. I don’t like that conversation. For me, the industry was like a family—or at least I used to think of it that way.”
The actor, whose lineage includes legendary singer Mukesh and his father, Nitin Mukesh, lamented the erosion of camaraderie and genuine appreciation in today’s film circles. “If we’re part of the same fraternity, shouldn’t we be cheering for each other? Shouldn’t we be picking up the phone to say, ‘Hey, great work’? But those calls never come unless the person is extremely close to you. And even then, no one says it to your face.”
Neil drew a poignant contrast between the current climate and the golden era of filmmaking led by icons like Raj Kapoor and Mukeshji. “Back then, friendships had no agenda. Filmmaking was a passion, a collaboration. Raj Kapoor sahab didn’t need validation, yet he’d still take his films to Rishikesh Mukherjee to get them checked. Today, we hide everything—our looks, trailers, cuts—until they’re ready to drop.”
According to Neil, the root of this change lies in a collective frustration. “Not everyone has tasted full success. There’s this lingering ambition, this sense of missed opportunity that’s slowly creeping into the system—and it’s becoming the norm. That’s not how it should be.”
Despite the industry’s evolving dynamics, Neil has stayed resilient. His journey began in the late 1980s as a child actor in films like Vijay and Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii. Before his breakout as a lead in Johnny Gaddaar (2007), he even worked behind the camera as an assistant director on Mujhse Dosti Karoge (2002).
In recent years, Neil has maintained a steady presence with roles in films such as Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, Saaho, and the 2024 release Hisaab Barabar. With Hai Junoon, he now steps into the digital arena, eager to reinvent and reintroduce himself to a new generation of viewers—this time on his own terms.
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