It's 'Freeze', 'Fame' for Neil Mukesh

Mumbai, Jan 19 (IANS) The two new films that Neil Nitin Mukesh of "Johnny Gaddar" fame has signed have peculiar titles.

"One of them is called 'Fame' while the other is tentatively titled 'Freeze'. I guess audiences expect unusual titles from me after 'Johnny Gaddar' and my release 'Tera Kya Hoga Johnny'," Neil told IANS.

Talking about his role in "Fame", he said: "Tigmanshu Dhulia's 'Fame' is about the shortcuts to a bulky bank balance taken by youngsters, again a moral fable like 'Johnny Gaddar'. Maybe, producers see me as the good boy gone to seed."

Another day, another role. Neil has also bagged his own superhero flick, thereby creating an atmosphere of more comparisons with Hrithik Roshan.

"The film from Eros, tentatively titled 'Freeze', is going to be directed by debutant Jehangir Surti. It's about a man who comes upon a supernatural power and how it changes his life."

But the first one to come out will be Sudhir Mishra's "Tera Kya Hoga Johnny".

"It's an episodic look at the life of a street child named Johnny. I come into one of the episodes."

Tell him it's bizarre that his first two films have 'Johnny' in their titles and he laughs.

"Yeah, it is rather uncanny. And when I was a child I'd often call myself Johnny for no apparent reason."

Forget the staid family-oriented good boy image that Neil has cultivated even after playing the roguish double-dealing "Johnny Gaddar". On his 26th birthday, which was Jan 15, the young actor decided to really let his hair down.

"Well on the night before my birthday I was with my family. My brother, who's 10 years my junior, has his board exams coming up. So, I've been keeping late nights with him, trying to coach him overtime. The birthday eve was a quiet family affair."

But the next day Neil whooped it up with the babes.

"Don't ask me where, how and when. And I'll tell no lies. But I cast aside my good boy image on my birthday night," Neil laughed wickedly.

Turning pensive, Neil sighed, "I already feel old. At 25, I felt young. At 26, I feel I've crossed the age where I could be a kid. Johnny is no longer papa's kid."

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