Without Mickey Mehta, the film would not have happened.
When it comes to antagonistic roles, few actors shine as brightly quite like Neil Nitin Mukesh.
Having burst onto the silver screen with Johnny Gaddaar (2007), Neil has proven his worth as a villain in several films such as Jail (2009) and Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo (2015).
Neil last starred in Ashwni Dhir’s Hisaab Barabar. He plays the bad guy, Mickey Mehta.
Also starring R Madhavan as Radhe Mohan Sharma, Neil outdoes himself in this engrossing tale of financial fraud.
In our exclusive chat, you can also hear Neil speak about the film and what connected him to the project.
Play each audio clip and you can hear the actual interview answers.
How did you approach the character of Mickey Mehta?
Neil explains that he kept Mickey Mehta quite eccentric to satisfy the medium of entertainment.
However, he highlights that Mickey also needed to be eccentric and humorous for him to be humanised and multi-layered.
Neil adds that Mickey’s mentality is that what everyone else sees as wrong is right for Mickey.
Without Mickey Mehta, the film would not have happened.
How was it working with R Madhavan in Hisaab Barabar?
Neil Nitin Mukesh admits it was tough to play an antagonist opposite R Madhavan. He describes Madhavan as a “role model”.
However, Neil recognised the importance of playing Mickey Mehta carefully.
Neil reminisces about an incident where he was hesitant to hit Madhavan for a scene, but Madhavan encouraged him to do so.
His dedication to his craft inspired Neil to deliver his best.
How was it working with Ashwni Dhir, and how did his vision connect with your performance?
Warning: This clip contains one use of strong language.
Neil asserts that he is a big fan of Ashwni Dhir and admires his ability to humanise his characters.
He explains that his team was ready to leave the meeting as they didn’t feel the film would be damaging to Neil’s reputation.
But Neil’s awe of Ashwni’s conviction won him over.
Ashwni’s writing also makes the common man sound heroic which Neil really likes.
What do you think makes ZEE5 Global a good platform for Hisaab Barabar?
Neil Nitin Mukesh praises ZEE5 Global’s penetration of worldwide audience.
He describes having Hisaab Barabar streaming on the platform as a “huge honour”.
The actor adds that the film needed a large audience and it received that via ZEE5 Global.
What do you hope the audience will take away from Hisaab Barabar?
Neil thinks that the film should be a wake-up call in a digital era that is dominated by AI.
In the day and age of technology, Neil hopes that Hisaab Barabar will create an awareness of unnoticeable things.
He quotes dialogues from the film that connected him to the story.
A thought-provoking, engaging film, Hisaab Barabar is an adrenaline-filled ride topped with an excellent performance by Neil Nitin Mukesh.
Through our interview, Neil’s passion for the film shone with an unmatched glean.
It is this zeal that makes Mickey Mehta one of his best characters.
We also interviewed Neil Nitin Mukesh’s co-star, R Madhavan, about the film, which you can check out here.
Meanwhile, Hisaab Barabar premiered on ZEE5 Global on January 24, 2025.
Fans can watch the film with a subscription.
Watch the trailer:
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