MUMBAI: In 2008, he made his debut in Arslaan for Sony TV. He then starred in hit television sitcoms like Gulaal and 12/24 Karol Bagh and do not miss his role as Laxman, in the much-acclaimed Ramayan. Somewhere Neil Bhatt has been discovered and rediscovered; after all, he is one of the few actors who have defied the norms of television. Why not? Neil has stayed far from being typecast. Testimony to this are the roles that he has played. If Neil has escaped the churn of celebrity culture, it’s because he has never yearned for stardom. Now Ghum Hain Kisi  Key Pyaar Meiin is topping TRP charts. Neil Bhatt has won the hearts of the audience as I.P.S. Virat Chavan.

When 12/24  Karol Bagh opened, Bhatt as Abhinav Taneja, gained huge popularity. Still, he was boning up his skills. For him  stardom wasn’t a benediction, but an audience approval that gained with each passing role that he has essayed -- be it the titular role of Kesar or Zakir in Diya Aur Baati Hum, Neil is unequivocally  brilliant.

“It’s simple for me. What matters is to bring out the best in the character and start living that character. That’s me. I live the character’s journey and eventually, it becomes a part of me. I hold a huge appetite to master the character and eventually, I improve as an actor,” says Bhatt, adding, “Also, I love to improvise and improvise again.”

His take on Virat Chavan? “He is a strong–willed police officer, but hopelessly emotional. He is duty- bound and yet loving. For me to switch between the two, makes my role challenging and interesting,” says Bhatt. “Earlier, after every shot I used to watch the monitor to see the take, but now whilst playing Virat, I have stopped that. Now, I am comfortable in my character and can perform with ease because Virat has grown on me. Both my co-stars are phenomenal and thorough professionals. Lucky to share screen space with them,” adds Bhatt.

Tell us about your best role till date? “It was Kesar, but somewhere Virat Chavan is taking over.  The character has created pinpricks of emotions and the story is not black or white, but grey. That grey element is loved by all,” explains Bhatt, who comes from a family of lawyers and is a qualified lawyer himself too. “I was always given a free hand to choose my career. My parents have always been supportive of my career as an actor. But, I was anyway studying law, so I chose to complete the course,” he smiles.
Neil Bhatt clearly believes in performance, any format, any language. “I did a Gujarati film Bhanwar purely because I loved the role of the folk puppeteer in Bhanwar. The character was real and that’s what I like.”

Bhatt has learned the celebrity game well. He knows what to talk and he never has any gossip material to offer. When quizzed about his breakup or current love-life, his answer"I'm currently occupied by my work and loving it."

He also conveys appealing resilience. He seems of our earth, not like those creatures who become so other-worldly in their celebrity weight. Neil is palpable humanity. But, he knows how to hold his presence on-screen and off it. “For now, I am enjoying being Virat Chavan. In the future, I want to be part of the comedy genre or something really different from what I've done.”

(Also Read: Actor Neil Bhatt opens up on his prep for the upcoming show Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin)