Piyush Mishra: Anurag is Like a Younger Sibling to Me
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Mumbai, Dec 3 (NationPress) Amidst relocating within Mumbai, juggling various acting roles, and touring with his band 'Ballimarah', actor, lyricist, and singer Piyush Mishra is passionately composing new tracks for an album set to launch in March 2025.
Additionally, he recently penned lyrics for two upcoming films directed by Anurag Kashyap (besides 'Gulal', of course)... "Anurag is like a younger brother to me. I recall him attending my plays while he was still a college student in Delhi," Mishra shares with IANS.
When asked how he manages to balance all these endeavors, he humbly responds, "Because I am not talented, but gifted."
For those familiar with the Delhi theatre scene, it's hard not to remember his acclaimed performances in 'Hamlet' and 'An Evening with Piyush Mishra' (1996), where he would perform solo for over two hours straight.
This Gwalior-born graduate of the National School of Drama (NSD) admits that his time on the Capital's stage was not merely romantic, as many might suggest. "Certainly, I was deeply involved in theatre, working over 10 hours daily, but that was also when my arrogance often overwhelmed me; nothing else mattered beyond my own existence. My daily routine involved leaving early for rehearsals and returning home intoxicated. I truly don't know how my wife Priya managed to keep everything stable, emotionally," he reflects.
His initial experience in Mumbai was a setback, playing a minor role in Mani Ratnam's film 'Dil Se'.
Mishra confesses that returning to Delhi after that was profoundly disheartening.
While many of his peers, such as Manoj Bajpayee, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Gajaraj Rao, had moved to the city of dreams and were establishing themselves, Mishra performed a play in the Capital titled 'Hamlet Bombay Nahin Jayega'.
"I was forty years old, my first son had just been born, and I realized that 'if not now, it is never'. So, I decided to make the move. Yes, I was anxious," he admits. This 1983 batch NSD alumnus finally took the leap and began appearing in significant roles in films like 'Maqbool', 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Gulaal', and 'Rockstar'.
"I had transformed, almost experienced a metamorphosis. My arrogance was gone; I started to see the world, which had so much more to offer. Furthermore, during our theatre days, we were often blinded by leftist ideologies. But tell me, who doesn't desire a comfortable car and a nice house?" he smiles.
Nonetheless, this has not soured Mishra's view of theatre; in fact, he frequently performs his play 'Gagan Damama Bajiyo' nationwide and can often be spotted at NSD and with the ASMITA theatre group in New Delhi.
"How can I not be drawn to NSD and other theatre groups? It is the place that taught me everything I know. My only regret is that I concentrated solely on acting, overlooking many other valuable lessons that institution could have imparted to me," he concludes.
