Fame at slow pace

He wears many hats. But film and theatre actor, Piyush Mishra dislikes personal interviews. “I don’t know what is left to know about me, I have said each and everything about me, from personal and professional, to nearly all the newspapers,” he tells Metrolife.

Mishra attends the Bharat Rang Mahotsav every year but does not watch any of the plays. “I have stopped attending theatre, I have done it continuously for 20 years and now if I watch even one play, I feel like leaving everything and going on stage,” says this talented artiste who is also a music director, lyricist, singer and scriptwriter.

His love for theatre harks back to his youth and time spent at the National School of Drama, “learning and orating long lines”, a favourite pastime. He remembers each day he spent at the NSD campus.

“I cherish having studied in this college. It is the best place to be in. Each nook and cranny is redolent of art. I can sit here content and quiet without meeting or talking to anyone. I come here every year and stay for four or five days at a stretch,” he added.
Sitting under a tree in the campus, he was approached by many passersby, including his mates, students, the watchmen, the staff and campus helps. He got into a philosophical discussion about love, art and childhood with them.

“Ishq aur kaam hi do sabse zaruri bhag hai zindagi ke, (love and work are the two most important phenomenon in one’s life),” he says, implying that excess of one
or the other makes a person discontent.

“Right now I am very complacent in life. I slogged for so many years and now it is paying off. I met some of the greatest artistes like Vishal Bhardwaj and Anurag Kashyap who have reinstated my belief in the art form,” he explained.

“Whereas, my type of movies have to be more social, I like Rajkumar Hirani movies which can be watched together with the family,” he says. About his experience of working with Anurag Kashyap, Mishra says “I think he is one the best directors, he visualises well and his movies are also social, but the abusive language in his movies repulse me. I love him but I hate him too,” he says.

“Theatre artistes are not well paid, but I guess if you love what you do, then money is never a problem. I believe hardships in life make you a real artiste. People tell me my son is smart, good looking and must join acting as soon as possible. But I think he will be lost in the success or maybe daunted by failures, so I don’t say anything to change his ideas,” he says.

Mishra himself has had a rough childhood; he wrote his first poem when he was 14, in angst against his authoritative aunt. He has explored every field that fuelled his interest; he writes poetry,  has finished his novel; is planning his directorial debut and continues to act in movies at the same time.

Mishra will also be talking about his new book of poems in the Delhi Poetry Festival’s first run-up by Poets Corner in April.

“I have completed my novel Shuddhi.It is hugely autobiographical and at the same time fictitious, I don’t know how to be more honest about it. But I am still awaiting a publisher,” he says.