From having his voice aired as a radio jockey to becoming a household name through his TV show 24 , actor Neil Bhoopalam has come a long way. Talking about his journey, he recalls, “I started my career with Atul Kumar. It was a learning experience. There is only a certain limit till which the industry offers you, beyond that you need to be proactive and make things happen for you. That is when I felt I needed to pull up my socks. I take more conscious decisions so that I can move forward even if it is in small steps.”
The actor, who gained critical acclaim for his acting in films like No One Killed Jessica , Shaitan and NH10, goes on to give a glimpse of his upcoming film Bombay Talkies2. He ads, “The film is heavy on design. Bhoomi Pednekar and I play the lead and the film is directed by Zoya Akhtar. She is amazing. The theme is love and lust and if I say one more line about the film it will give away the story, hence I shall seal my lips.”
Neil, who is looking forward to doing challenging roles, is also part of another upcoming film titled Kaalakaandi, directed by Akshat Verma. It stars Saif Ali Khan as one of the leads and has Neil playing the role of a gunman. He states, “When YouTube was going to produce this film some time ago, I was suppose to play the role which Saif is now cast in. Some internal changes took place and I was informed that I am no longer a part of it. I put on my thinking cap and realised that the story is supreme and it does not matter which role I play. The film has three sub plots which takes place on one Mumbai night. I portray the role of a gun-slinger. Even though it is a small role, I am happy with it.”
To play the role of a gun-slinger was not easy initially, opines the young actor. “I took inspiration from Rajnikanth and his films. This role was meant for an older man but I told Akshat I had no problem depicted as an aged man on screen as long as I was a part of it. This is what I meant when I said ‘going forward’.”
Neil has also contributed enormously to theatre with plays like Hamlet the Clown Prince. “Theatre is different. It is like jamming. You have an instrument and you are just free flowing and enjoying every minute and you own the moment as an actor. It is a responsibility to perform on stage as there are around 600 people or more whose eyes are focused on you. There is no room for error.”
Talking about roles he enjoys depicting most Neil says, “I love being a clown on stage. It makes me happy too see people laugh. People have this notion that a clown is someone foolish but its just the opposite. It takes a lot of wit and intelligence to crack a good joke.”
Well, we hope you keep us rolling on the floor laughing!
