I never met my grandfather, but my grandmother (Saral) bridged the gap really well. We lived on the first floor, she on the seventh. My sister Neha and I would spend every weekend with BM (Badi Ammi) on the condition that she would tell me a story about him. Theirs was one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve heard, and as she spoke about him, I fell in love with my grandfather.
During those visits, I was allowed to take one item from his cupboard which would be mine forever. Much to the envy of my father (singer Nitin Mukesh), I have daadu’s Rolex watch, cuff-links, kurta buttons, topi, muffler, walking stick, jacket… I wore the jacket in the train sequence in my first film, Johnny Gaddaar, and in my latest film, I’ve worn his cuff-links. He’s wanted to be an actor too and I feel this way, I’m helping him live his dream.
Yes, he did act in half-a-dozen films. He was a better singer, but what a looker! I’ve heard from my father that Raj (Kapoor) uncle often told him he should become an actor and Mukeshji made a guest appearance in his Aah. For me, watching him in Anuraag, which he produced, was surreal because till then, I’d only seen him in photographs. To see him walk, talk, sing on screen brought him alive. That’s what fascinates me about cinema, through it, you live forever!
pic: wikipedia |
I had no idea what my grandfather or father did till I acted as a child star in Vijay. Yash (producer-director Yash Chopra) uncle made me lip sync to “Akkad bakkad bambe bo” and as soon as I returned from the Bangalore shoot, I ran to BM and asked her to play me one of daadu’s songs. And as I lip-synched to Dharam Karam’s “Ek din bik jayega mati ke mol” I realised life mein agar kuch kaam karna hai to parde ke samne hoth hilana hai. I knew Dharam Karam and Mera Naam Joker by heart as Neha and I would request for these long films to be played so our TV hour got extended.
I got my first award from IIFA in London and it was a surprise because though Johnny Gaddaar was appreciated, has since become a cult film and I remain forever grateful to my mentor-director Sriram Raghavan, I thought my struggle had just begun. I never expected to be accepted into this world of glitterati so easily. Unfortunately, by then we had lost BM, but as I was walking up to the stage, I felt the presence of my grandparents, smiling down at me, saying, “This is what we dreamt for you.” When I accepted my trophy, I said, “I’m living my grandfather’s dream, this is for him.”
This journey began when I was sitting with my grandmother in her living room surrounded by daadu’s trophies. Having won just one silver medal for a sack race in school, I was fascinated by his Filmfare statuettes, the National Award and other tokens of appreciation. Once, when Neha was called to be presented with a certificate for academic excellence, I ran up to the stage, still dressed in my postman’s outfit from the just-concluded school play, wanting an award too. I got a chocolate from the teacher.
My grandfather went away too soon, but growing up in Mukesh Chowk, we got a lot of adulation and love from our neighbours because we came from his lineage. At four, I felt his aura in this outpouring of love, today, at 40, I feel it more than ever. My name, Neil Nitin Mukesh, is itself a homage to not just my father, but also my grandfather. I owe everything to the name Mukesh and that’s why I’m not desperate to be just seen on screen, I want to be seen in good stories with talented people. Films are not just a means of survival. They carry forward a legacy.
Over the years, I have worked across genres, languages and generations, with different filmmakers and actors. I have collaborated with Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan, Dharamji (Dharmendra) Vinod Khanna sahab and also their sons, Abhishek and Bobby, along with present superstars Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Vijay and Prabhas. For me cinema is generations coming together to entertain the nation through the process of storytelling.
I have composed and sung three songs. Hopefully, they will be out soon. Maybe I’ll bring them out as singles or, now that I’m writing and producing, I’ll use them in our films. The problem is I sing only love songs and the movies I write and act in are usually thrillers. I’m trying to strike a balance between the two since all three are beautiful love songs.
Yes, it will require guts given that I come from Mukeshji’s lineage and even his son, Nitin Mukeshji, has lived up to his father’s name. I know there will be comparisons, but at this stage in my life and career, I just want to enjoy the joy of creation irrespective of what people say.
(As told to Roshmila Bhattacharya)
