Neil runs into trouble

Neil Nitin Mukesh injured himself while running on the treadmill in preparation for a chase sequence in Kabeer Khan’s tentatively titled film, New York, in Philadelphia.

Wincing with pain, Neil relates the incident. He says, “I had to enact a scene where I am running on the roads and am being chased. Since I wanted the scene to look authentic, I decided to practise it on the treadmill. However, in my enthusiasm I did not realise that I was running a lot faster than I should have and something gave way. Doubling up in pain, I fell to the ground. I couldn’t move my leg. I thought I had broken it. But fortunately it was just a torn ligament.”

Neil was also worried about disrupting his shooting schedule in the US, leading to more time away from home. “As it is I was homesick and I did not want to stay away from Mumbai any longer than necessary,” he says.

The doctors prescribed complete rest. “Leave alone running, they told me I couldn’t even walk for the next fortnight. But I was adamant about finishing the schedule. So I did the chasing sequence in boots, instead of sports shoes. But you can imagine the pain! To add to it, my father, who was with me in Philadelphia, had to return to Mumbai for Ganpati. So not only was I writhing in pain, I also had nobody to comfort me once I was done with the shooting. It was just me and my television set in a lonely hotel room in the evening. Fortunately, my parents will be joining me after the Ganpati festivities.”

However, Neil did get comfort from unexpected quarters. His co-star John Abraham has been a support system for him. John has been imparting invaluable tips to Neil on how to ease the pain and continue working.

“John has become the elder brother I never had. We gym together and eat together,” Neil said.

Neil trying to replace Khiladi Akshay?

Neil Nitin Mukesh is going places with his negative act in the thriller, Johnny Gaddar. Having boldly made an offbeat debut by playing a grey shade, Neil has undoubtedly proved his knack for brave moves. It is no wonder then that he chose to perform some daredevil stunts himself. For his forthcoming flick titled Freeze, Neil has done some dangerous shots without a stunt double. I a particular scene, he is shown jumping off a ninth floor building. Elaborating on the scene, Neil says, “I had to jump off the ninth floor. I did it without a harness and landed on an airbag. There was a major rush and the feeling was great. What’s more, I am alive!”

So do we see the action king, Akshay Kumar, being replaced by the young and happening, Neil? No, says the actor. “There is nobody who can ever become Akshay Kumar. There is one and only one Akshay. I am a big fan of his. I will obviously try to do something he has already done,” states Neil.

According to reports, while performing one stunt, Neil got hurt. However, he dismisses it off as a freak accident. He says, “I will not say it was anybody’s mistake. Shyam Roshan (director) is like my father. They way he concentrates on each stunt, the way he co-ordinates, it is amazing. But then, at times things do go wrong.”

In Freeze, the audience will be in for more surprises than one. Grandson of the legendary singer, Mukesh and son of the versatile, Nitin Mukesh, Neil is all set to exercise his vocal chords in this one. Nevertheless, he is careful enough to not showoff. He says, “I am not a trained singer. I am a trained actor. I hope there are no comparisons made. People need to realize that there is only one Mukesh and Nitin Mukesh. Now, there is a Neil who is trying his hand in something he is passionate about.”

Neil also waxed eloquent about his co-star in Freeze. The sexy Bipasha Basu will play the female lead in this thriller. While the pairing seems odd, Neil doesn’t feel so. He says, “Bipasha is a great co-star. She is a sweetheart. I adore her. He is a lovely person and great human being. Above all she is a Capricornian like me and I think that’s why we gel even more.”