New Delhi:

Neil Nitin Mukesh made headlines years ago for allegedly having an argument with Shah Rukh Khan at an award function. After SRK cracked a joke about his name, Neil told the superstar to “shut up.” Now, in an interview with Hindi Rush, the actor has cleared the air, stating that he would never speak to his seniors in such a manner.

Recalling the incident, Neil said, “Mera bada simple manana hai, hum ek aise era mein hain jahan, main Shah Rukh sir ki baat nahi kar raha hun. (My belief is very simple. We are in an era where… I am not talking about Shah Rukh Sir), his seniority and I love him so much myself. I want to clarify that I would never say ‘shut up’ to my seniors, but it was a show and there were so many things at play there. That conversation is entirely different, and I am not even talking about that.”

The actor further talked about people who were disrespectful to his stage name, which is an honour to his father Nitin and grandfather Mukesh. He said, “If I want to keep my feelings towards my parents, my grandfather’s name, how can I make everyone understand that? I understand it, my family understands it, and that is more than enough for me. I will not try to make a fourth person understand this.” 

“If they want to make a joke, let them. You are not Neil Nitin Mukesh. You don’t have such a legacy, so you will make fun of it,” Neil concluded. 

During the 2009 Filmfare Awards, Shah Rukh Khan, in a lighthearted comment, pointed out that Neil had three first names but no last name. The actor quipped, “Neil Nitin Mukesh, where is the surname? It seems like all your names are first names. 

To which, Neil replied, “Sir, very kind question, thank you so much. But can I take the liberty of saying something?” After SRK told him to go ahead, Neil said, “That is an insult for me actually, I feel. It’s not right. I think you haven’t seen it, but my father is sitting out here. I think you guys just need to shut up. I’m sorry.”

Here is a video of the incident shared by a YouTuber:

On the work front, Neil Nitin Mukesh’s satirical action comedy Hisaab Barabar is currently streaming on Zee5. Directed by Ashwni Dhir, the film features R Madhavan, Kirti Kulhari, Rashami Desai and Faisal Rashid in key roles.