Neil Nitin Mukesh on Being Called ‘Angrez Ka Baccha’: Turning Taunts into Triumph

Neil Nitin Mukesh Says He Was Called ‘Angrez Ka Baccha’ and ‘Firangi’ — Here’s How He Turned It Into a Strength

Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh recently spoke about the early struggles he faced in Bollywood because of the way he looked. In an interview with The Therapy Diariez, he shared that people often judged him for having a “foreign” appearance. Some even called him “angrez ka baccha” (a British child) or “firangi” (foreigner), and questioned whether he could speak proper Hindi.

Neil said that many people doubted if he could succeed in Hindi films, especially since he came from a family of singers and didn’t have the usual Bollywood look. But instead of letting that bring him down, he said, “All these were my handicaps, which I turned into my positives.”

When asked if he was scared before landing his first film, Neil said he didn’t let fear get to him. He explained that he couldn’t afford to panic about his future. For him, building a name in the film industry wasn’t a choice—it was something he had to do no matter what.

The New York actor also talked about how his famous family background added pressure. Being the grandson of legendary singer Mukesh and the son of singer Nitin Mukesh, people often doubted his acting skills and wondered if he was only trying to get by on his family name.

He said the remarks about his looks and language skills were tough to hear at first. But instead of getting discouraged, he used those negative comments to push himself harder and grow stronger.

In another interview with ANI, Neil spoke about nepotism. He said that if he had truly benefited from being a “nepo kid,” he would be in a much bigger place by now. He explained that while actors from film families are often more visible, that doesn’t mean success comes easily.

For those who don’t know, Neil started acting as a child. He appeared in Vijay (1988) and Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharnii (1989). Later, he worked as an assistant director on the 2002 film Mujhse Dosti Karoge to learn behind the scenes. He finally made his debut as a lead actor in Johnny Gaddaar (2007) and was last seen in the 2024 movie Hisaab Barabar.

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