HAD THE BEST TIME OF MY LIFE IN DELHI: KUMUD
Naina Arora
Actor and theatre personality Kumud Mishra effortlessly makes each character he plays, his own. Having starred in hit films such as Sultan (2016) and Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) among others, the National School of Drama (NSD) graduate credits the institute for his skills. “It was the best time of my life. Everything I know about acting has come from here. Aapko lagta hain aapne bahut kuch kiya hai par asal mein aapne kuch nahin kiya hai. You should study as an actor, [but] padhte toh nahin hain log,” he shares.
From reminiscing the beaming faces of Delhi University (DU) students during his time filming on campus to soaking in the cultural vibe of the Capital, Mishra adds, “The atmosphere is so good that throughout the day that one is either discussing about acting or rehearsing. And, if nothing as such is happening, one would go to Max Mueller, Shri Ram Centre, and Kamani Auditorium to watch theatre.”
Mishra’s tryst with acting incepted as a result of the stories his grandfather narrated. “My grandfather read Ramcharitmanas during puja. Woh mere liye sabse bada experience tha. Woh itna connect karte the ki woh rone lagte the. My father was also an actor [in] Ramlila. I was young when he was in the Army, and over there too, in curricular activities, theatre was a prominent element. Thereafter, Bhopal became a place where I started taking theatre, seriously. Aise karte karte drama school (NSD), then Bombay,” recalls Mishra, who keeps his passion for his first love — theatre — alive despite dabbling in commercial films from time-to-time.
“Too much of anything gadbad jo jaata hai. Balance is a must. Earlier, I used to do a lot of theatre and not so many films. Had I not been sure why I was doing theatre, I would’ve stopped doing it years ago. There are enough reasons not to do theatre as it doesn’t pay well. Aapka ghar nahin chal sakta hai. Cinema pays you well... And getting good work in cinema [now] is an added bonus,” shares Mishra, who adds that his role in the Ranbir Kapoor-starrer Rockstar (2011) established him in the minds of many movie-lovers as Khatana Bhai.
Mishra was recently in Delhi for the play, Dhumrapaan, where he essayed the role of a ‘nononsense boss’. The story, set in a corporate office, revolves around a smoking zone gossip wherein people come to destress. About the audiences’ reaction to the play and performance, Mishra shares, “The audience was fantastic. Hum ghabrae hue the (we were scared) thinking whether it’ll work or not.”
The atmosphere is so good [in the Capital] that throughout the day that one is either discussing about acting or rehearsing. And, if nothing as such is happening, one would go to Max Mueller, Shri Ram Centre and Kamani Auditorium to watch theatre.
KUMUD MISHRA ACTOR