Neil Nitin Mukesh says fair skin cost him acting roles
What's the story
Actor Neil Nitin Mukesh recently opened up in an exclusive interview with Hindi Rush about how he thinks his fair complexion has restricted his career in Bollywood.
Despite giving memorable performances in movies like Johnny Gaddaar, New York, and Wazir, he believes many roles are not offered to him due to his skin color.
He even drew examples of Saif Ali Khan and Hrithik Roshan, who have aced common man characters.
Role models
Mukesh cited Khan and Roshan as examples
Mukesh also pointed out that Khan and Roshan have successfully portrayed common man characters despite being fair.
"Khan saab Langda Tyagi (in Omkara) kar sakte haina? Roshan ne apne aap ko Greek God ke mold se break kar ke Super 30 kar lete haina?"
"Vahan vo karwa sakte hai, hum umeed kar kare hai ke humse aap karwaae. (There they can make it happen; here we are waiting for people to make us do such roles.)"
Industry challenges
'You give me an opportunity': Mukesh on colorism in Bollywood
Mukesh also vented out his anger at the industry for concentrating on looks instead of acting.
He said, "Hum toh chehra he badal dete hai kisi ka toh fir aap acting pe thoda dhyaan do na. Aap mauka toh dijiye (We can completely transform an actor's face. So, give some attention to acting as well. Give me an opportunity)."
The actor stressed that with technology and makeup, it is possible to change someone's appearance drastically for a role.
Latest project
Mukesh's recent work in 'Hisaab Barabar'
On the professional front, Mukesh last appeared in the 2025 action-comedy film Hisaab Barabar. He portrayed the character of Micky Mehta, an influential banker.
The film, directed by Ashwni Dhir, also starred R Madhavan, Kirti Kulhari, Rashami Desai, and Faisal Rashid.
Despite his worries about limited opportunities due to his complexion, Mukesh continues to make a significant contribution to Bollywood with his performances.