Famous for his International Indian Film Academy Award-winning work in the 2007 Bollywood thriller Johnny Gaddaar, Mukesh is also notable for his Filmfare Award-nominated performance in New York (2009), as well as for his Screen Award-nominated portrayal of Major Edwin Rodriques in 7 Khoon Maaf (2011).
He made childhood appearances in the feature films Vijay (1988) and Jaisi Karni Waisi Bharni (1989). Before continuing his acting career as an adult, he earned a business degree from HR College-Mumbai.
He made his Tamil cinema debut in the 2013 feature Kaththi.
The son of Bollywood singer Nitin Mukesh and the grandson of another acclaimed playback vocalist, Mukesh Chand Mathur, he spent his youth in Mumbai, India, and was raised in a Punjabi, Kayastha caste family of the Hindu faith.
He and Ameesha Patel co-star in the 2013 feature Shortcut Romeo.