It’s a lie,’ exclaims an exasperated Neil Bhoopalam when asked about his Hyderabad roots. Wiki mentions his place of birth as ‘Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh’. “I don’t know who put that on Wiki, it’s not true at all. I was born and brought up in Mumbai. “My father’s from Shimoga hence the name Bhoopalam,” adds Neil wondering if that ‘s what leads to assumptions that he’s from Hyderabad.
The actor and former Radio Jockey was in Hyderabad as part of Dramanon’s presentation of One on One -2 a melange of monologues brilliantly performed by theatre big-wigs like Ajit Kapoor, Anu Menon Hussain Dalal, Shernaz Patel and others.
Performing after a year in Hyderabad, Neil was an instant hit with the audience who lapped up every part his act. “Different subjects, different expressions, different players…they are not even connected, but it’s a great format that brings together actors on stage this way,” he says.
Excited about performing in Hyderabad, Neil is elated that theatre “is not a mere social event anymore, but has emerged as an engaging entertaining media”.
The actor who was recently seen with Anushka Sharma in NH 10 , is aware that it’ll take a long time for another role to overshadow the incredibly popular role of Aditya Singhania from the TV series 24 . Neil fit the bill perfectly playing the suave and young Prime Minister in the series. After Shaitan , his NH 10 role almost brackets him into the kind of actors who are intense and portray meaningful roles. Yet Neil looks to step out of this image and explore more roles. “I’d love to work with various banners and producers, but I don’t need to hardsell myself.”
Having reached out to the audience through radio, television, theatre and cinema, Neil, at 32, feels he needs steady work but is “not chasing fame”. He points out, “I need to come out of my comfort zone though.”
