MUMBAI: Budding actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, who is the grandson of legendary playback Mukesh,

is turning singer for new director Jehangir Surti’s thriller Freeze.

Neil, who debuted with the critically acclaimed thriller Johnny Gaddar and whose father Nitin Mukesh is also a singer, will sing the theme song for the film. Pritam Chakraborty is composing the track.

“I wouldn’t call myself an extremely accomplished singer. But, yes, I am much more than a bathroom singer. I carry my notes well. But having grown up on my grandfather’s songs and watched my dad struggling to get out of Mukesh’s shadows I was scared to try my hand at singing as a career,” said Neil.

Although Neil has chosen to be an actor, he’s an accomplished singer and was at one time toying between a career in singing and acting.

Pritam is all praise for Neil, “It’ll be somewhat like the James Bond theme in mood because that is the mood of Freeze. I’ve always been a Mukesh fan. I couldn’t compose for him, but it’s such an honour to compose for his grandson. Unlike other actors turned singers, Neil won’t be just a glamorous USP in the soundtrack. He knows what he’s doing.”

Neil and singing go back a long way. “As a child I did accompany my dad on his world tours and even sang on stage, but never my grandpa’s songs. I preferred Kishore Kumar. I never intended to sing professionally, but it seems God and the movie industry have other plans for me,” said Neil.

Interestingly, Mukesh too was an actor to begin with but he gave up his acting aspirations to concentrate on singing.