Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh recently addressed the ongoing discussion about nepotism in the Indian film industry. He shared that an artist’s success ultimately depends on their talent rather than family connections.
In an interview with ANI, he said, “If there was any benefit of nepotism, then today I would have been somewhere else. ‘Nepo kid maaf kijiye dekhiye hamari field mein glorify zyada kiya jaata hai’..Nepo kid is glorified in our field as being an actor whatever we do, we are noticed immediately. ‘agar doctor ka beta doctor ban raha hai to nepo kid vahan bhi use kiya ja sakta hai’ (If a doctor’s son is becoming a doctor then there also nepo kid can be used)……So, if my daughter grows up and wants to become an actor or an actress or a filmmaker or a writer. Now, I have this art and it is in me. As a business, I can’t hand it over. I can only teach or hope that someone will take my legacy, my name forward.”
He further stated, “Any artist makes their identity with their own creativity.”
As the grandson of legendary singer Mukesh and son of renowned playback singer Nitin Mukesh, Neil acknowledged his family’s legacy but highlighted that his journey in the industry has not been without challenges.
“I am Mukesh ji’s grandson. I am Nitin Mukesh ji’s son. Today I am the third generation and I am carrying forward the name of both of them. My love was for acting and I have been doing it since my childhood. So, I have come to this field. Of course, my father and grandfather belong to this line. This is my world. But even today I know that after every film, what is my struggle for every other film? In fact, being the son of a star creates more pressure as you are continuously compared with them”
Neil pointed to the success of actors without industry connections as evidence that talent prevails in Bollywood: “I don’t think they have any filmy connection or identity. But look at what a first-class job they are doing, because of their talent. So, I know that as an actor, I had to go through a lot of struggles. First of all, to make people realise that a singer’s son can act. And even today, after so many films, after so many years, it’s been 20 years, I’m working. I have worked with first-rate directors. But I still feel a kind of struggle as to what my next film is going to be. So I am not afraid of that. I just consider it a challenge as to how I can prove myself as an actor. But if it was just about nepo kid, it would have been a privilege.”
Throughout his career spanning two decades, Neil has appeared in films including New York (2009), Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015), Golmaal Again (2017) and Saaho (2019). His most recent work includes the corruption-exposing drama Hisaab Barabar, which was released in January this year.
