National Award winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar says actor Neil Nitin Mukesh, who plays a pivotal role in his forthcoming film "Indu Sarkar", has given an "outstanding" performance in the movie.

Neil's character in the film has an uncanny resemblance with the late Congress leader Sanjay Gandhi.

Asked if he went through many actors to cast or Neil was his first choice for the role, Bhandarkar told IANS here: "Neil came to my place for inviting me to his wedding. We were chatting for long and I told him I am working on a film and if he is interested. Without even reading the script in details, Neil reacted, 'Aap batao, shooting kab shuru karna hai (You tell me, when do we have to start shooting?'."

"So, casting Neil was easy."

Bhandarkar feels that after "Jail" - the film they worked on together - Neil has delivered his best for "Indu Sarkar".

"The look, the body language... the nuances of performance is outstanding. The whole cast is brilliant," the director said.

Besides Neil, the film features Supriya Vinod, Kirti Kulhari, Anupam Kher and Tota Roy Chaudhury.

"I went to Kolkata for some research work. The moment Tota walked into the room, I knew he is my Naveen Sarkar... He is flawless in the film. So is Kirti. After the release of the film, her life will change. She is an actress to watch out for."

The film "Indu Sarkar" is releasing on July 28.