Before Kaththi, I had no intention of doing a Tamil film: Neil

No tuxedo, no satin bow and no polished shoes. Kollywood���s bad guy Neil Nitin Mukesh prefers to wear a basic tee and a good pair of denims to a date. And it���s not just clothes that he is particular about. It���s the same when it comes to film scripts as well. Recently in the city to launch a fashion week, he talks to Chennai Times about his sense of style, films, music and the similarities between his co-stars Salman Khan and Vijay.Excerpts���
You made a grand entry into Kollywood as the bad guy in Kaththi. Did you have any apprehensions before signing the film?
Yes, I did but not because it was a negative character. I had other reasons. I had no intention of doing a Tamil film initially, because I wasn���t sure whether I would be able to justify my role without knowing the language. I didn���t want to come and deliver my lines in Hindi. That would be cheating both, my audience and myself. When Murugadoss sir narrated the script to me, I found it interesting. I thought, ���let me take this is up as a challenge.��� I was already working on Prem Ratan Dhan Payo then, so, I didn���t know how much time I would be able to spend, to learn Tamil. Murugadoss sir said, ���you can do it. I have faith in you.��� That did the trick. When your director says that he has faith in you, even if you are bad, you have to work to make yourself good at it. I appointed a tutor. After shoot, I would sit and rehearse my lines with him, every single day. I used to make my tutor tell me the literal meaning of the words, so that I could get the emotions right. Once, I remember, I surprised Vijay sir by giving him my cue in Tamil.
Have you received any more offers after Kaththi from the Tamil film industry?
I am in talks with a filmmaker here, but nothing has materialised so far.
You have worked with Salman Khan and Vijay. Do you find any similarities between the two of them?
The only similarity that comes to my mind is that both of them are such big stars but both of them are very humble. They don���t take themselves seriously, which is something that I admire.
In Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, for the first time you are playing a character that is so conventional. How was the experience?
This is the first family drama that I am a part of, but I don���t know why I have the knack of picking up characters that are always very bratty. In this film too, my character is extremely rebellious in nature. He has reasons to be so. I play Salman bhai���s younger stepbrother. The character is layered. All the characters in the film will hate him but at the same time, the audience will love him. Striking that balance was difficult.
Most of your characters in films that you have done have been layered. Has that been a conscious decision?
In most of my films, I play a character that is not out-and-out negative because the basis of the character���s action has predominantly been love ��� be it New York or Johnny Gaddaar. It wasn���t hatred or vengeance that had made the characters the way they were. It was only in Players that my character was completely negative. In my next film Wazir with Amitabh Bachchan and Farhan Akhtar, I am Mr Grey on steroids. In that film, my character is really really evil.
You come from a lineage that has given the country musical legends. What are your musical influences and how musically inclined are you?
I am a pianist myself. I play, compose and programme. Music is something that no one can ever take away from me. It���s my stress buster. I am coming out with a single of mine, very soon. I am planning to release one by early next year. My dad is very critical about my singing. He is way more learned than I am about singing. He always pushes me to do more riyaaz. Apart from Mukesh ji, which goes without saying, I like listening to Kishore da, Sonu Nigam, Rahet Fateh Ali Khan saab, among others. In west, I love listening to Kenny G���s compositions, Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
How do you define your sense of style?
I am not rebellious enough to not follow the rules and trends. I like to dress for the occasion. For instance, if it���s Deepavali, then I would wear Indian. You will never catch me walking on a red carpet in slippers. But having said that, I am experimental when it comes to a personal outing. I don���t restrict fashion to just clothes. It has a lot to do with one���s personality. I could be wearing a casual shirt off the road but I have the kind of personality to pull anything and everything off, I can make it look like it���s worth a million-dollar and vice versa.
What are you the most comfortable in?
I am personally the most comfortable in a pair of torn boxers and a torn T-shirt. My mother hates it. Whenever she spots a hole in my T-shirt, she tears it apart. But I am sure most men will agree with me when I say this but that���s how comfortable a pair of worn-out boxers is. It���s like wearing nothing.
Do you have a say in your styling in the films you do?
Not really, but I like to look a certain way that would leave an impact on the audience. The characters that I choose, I like to keep them a little stylish. Also, the look depends a lot on the character. For example, my character in Jail was completely deglamourised. So, I couldn���t have chosen to be stylish. But my character in Kaththi demanded of me to look dapper and suave all the time