"'Johnny Gaddaar' is my Bible. It's a book just like any book that students study at school. I have grown up studying that book only," the 31-year-old said here Monday in an interview.
"On the sets of 'Johnny Gaddaar' I learned many things from (director) Sriram Raghavan, which I remember on the sets of all my movies and try to imbibe them," he added.
In "Johnny Gaddaar" Neil played Vikram, one of the five members of a gang that runs a gambling club and conduct other underhand deals. The film earned him a Filmfare best male debut nomination.
Neil's "3G" is a horror-thriller. He says while shooting some scenes, he was reminded of "Johnny Gaddar."
"There was a time when I remembered 'Johnny Gaddar'. There the character was doing everything but feigned innocence. Similarly, Sam (his '3G' character) has also used vulnerability, but in a different way," he said.
"3G", which has been co-directed by Sheershak Anand and Shantanu Ray Chhibber, is set for March 15 release and it will see Neil romancing Sonal Chauhan.