Neil Bhoopalam feels an actor is only as good as his last project
The two films that come to mind first when you talk about actor Neil Bhoopalam are No One Killed Jessica (2011) and NH10 (2015), both of which remain acclaimed in their own right. But that doesn’t take away from the fact that the 36-year old has worked in many other projects, which might not be talked about as much, but were integral to him nonetheless, such as Shaitan. The segment directed by Zoya Akhtar in last year’s Lust Stories (2018) also gave a boost to his career.
Asked how things change when you have such projects in your kitty, he says, “After NH10… when something does well, you will get more of the same. Fortunately, it came about at a time when there was a nice revolution happening in showbiz. The
moment web platforms opened up, people started telling more stories in an episodic format. We are pretty good at it, as Indian artists. It is booming, and lucrative for artists in every department. It’s the golden age.”
But what about the change in the quality of roles after, say for instance, NH10? “Not really. More work started coming. More people know you, as your work also acts as a visiting card. Projects are only as good as the people you work with, and you are only as good as your last released project. That (NH10) was good. It’s still the movie that will always hold weight and be a good film. With each passing year also, you get mileage out of it,” adds Neil, who was recently seen in a web series, Thinkistaan.
On what all is keeping him busy apart from this series, the actor laughs, “My twoyear-old son at home. I also did a play, A Few Good Men in Delhi recently. I am also doing the second season of Four More Shots Please, so a lot of work for me on the web as of now.”
Rishabh Suri When something does well, you will get more of the same... More people know you, as your work also acts as a visiting card. Projects are only as good as the people you work with. NEIL BHOOPALAM ACTOR