Sun 22 Jun 2008
Neil Nitin Mukesh has been travelling in style lately. He has bought a Segway. It’s a brand new purchase, he bought it barely four days ago from a distributor in Delhi.
So, what made him buy a Segway? Neil says he will be using the machine mainly to travel from the shooting location to the vanity van. “Often, we shoot in places where vanity vans cannot be parked close to the sets.
At such times, we have a walk a fair amount, to go to the sets. So a Segway will be very handy and quick.
The thought of buying a Segway occurred to me when I was surfing on the Internet last month.”
“It’s very adventurous to travel by this machine. But then, I am an adventurous person,” he adds.
Neil has decided to use the Segway from tomorrow, while shooting for Kabir Khan’s film (produced by Yash Raj Films).
But has he learnt to balance himself on the machine? Neil says, “Yes, I have. I started practising on it as soon as I bought it. After getting on the machine, you have to bend forward to move forward.
And bend your body back if you want to go in the reverse direction.”
What will his fans think when they see him travelling on a Segway? Neil laughs, “I think they will freeze in their tracks.
They will be astounded seeing the machine.”
What is a Segway?
Segway is a two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle (invented by Dean Kamen and unveiled in December 2001). Users lean forward to go forward, lean back to go backward, and turn by using a “Lean Steer” handlebar, leaning it left or right.
Segways do not have or need mechanical brakes; this makes their use illegal on public roads in jurisdictions which classify them as some form of motor vehicle.
Segways have been often used as transportation across military bases, warehouses, corporate campuses or industrial sites, or neighborhoods in place of walking or icycles.
Neil Nitin Mukesh grandson of legendery singer Mukesh has already proved himself as a fine actor with his brilliant performance in his debut movie Johnny Gaddaar. And now he is going to exercise his vocal chords and will be singing for his upcoming movie Freeze. An excited Neil said, “I wouldn’t call myself an extremely accomplished singer. But yes, I am much more than a bathroom singer. I carry my notes well. But having grown up on my grandfather’s songs and watched my dad struggling to get out of the ‘Mukesh’ shadow, I was scared to try my hand at singing as a fulltime career.” Neil also revealed his long time connection with singing,” As a child did accompany my dad on his world tours and even sang on stage. But I never sang my grandpa’s songs as I preferred Kishore Kumar. I didn’t intend to sing professionally. But it seems God and the film industry have other plans for me,” says the dashing hunk. Neil Nitin stars alongside Sophie Choudhary in Jehangir Suri’s thriller Freeze. Pritam is composing the songs for the movie and is delighted to have Neil to sing his song, “Neil will be singing the film’s theme song. It’ll be somewhat like the James Bond theme because that’s the mood of Freeze. I’ve always been a Mukesh bhakt. I couldn’t compose for him. But it’s such an honor to compose for his grandson. I’ll listen carefully to the texture of Neil’s voice and then compose accordingly. But since he’s the grandson of Mukesh and the son of Nitin Mukesh I’m sure he sings well. Also, being a good actor, Neil will have no problem in expressing the emotions in the lyrics. I’m quite kicked to have an actor singing for me. Unlike other actors-turned-singers, Neil won’t be just a glamorous factor in the soundtrack.
Neil Mukesh who started his career with the unconventional Johnny Gaddar and is all set to follow it up woth yet another unconventional release Tera Kya Hoga Johnny is all set to do his first masala movie. “Yes, most debutantes start with a commercial venture. That masala film is finally happening. It’s Yashraj Film directed by Kabeer Khan with John Abraham and me.” But Kabeer Khan’s earlier film for Yashraj Kabul Express hardly shows him capable of out and out commercialism. Neil agrees. “It may not be a standard formula film. I’m doing another out-and-out commercial film Freeze with Eros to be directed by Jehangir Surti. A very interesting concept, and I was kept in the loop from the beginning. For me cinema isn’t just about coming on the sets, saying my lines and going away. That’s an out-and-out masala film with songs and dances. And plenty of special effects.” Neil has in the meanwhile returned the signing amount for Tigmanshu Dulia’s proposed film Good Night. ” I did Johnny Gaddar for free. To me being part of movies that matter is very important. I had to opt out of Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Good Night because the script wasn’t ready. I need to read the script at least twenty times before I imbibe my character. By God’s grace I don’t have to work for money. My father and I are very simple down-to-earth people. We don’t know how to lobby for ourselves. What happened with Tigmanshu Dhulia was very disturbing. I’m not here to create controversies, only to do movies.” Brightening up Neil says, “I assisted at Yashraj Films for four years. It feels good to be working with them. It’s like coming home.”