Many of us fondly remember him as Apple Singh, the icon of the 1999 Cricket World Cup. Since then, Sanjai Mishra, alumnus of the National School of Drama (NSD), has been on a journey of numerous soul-wrenching and uproarious characters in a span of more than 25 years in the industry. The actor spoke to The Hindu , long distance, from the sets of his ongoing shoot. Mishra is soaking in the appreciation that his upcoming movie on climate change, Kadvi Hawa has received in anticipation of its forthcoming release this Friday.
Mishra calls his school of acting a simple one and prefers immersing himself into the role while acting. For the role of the 70-year-old blind man he plays in Kadvi Hawa , he spent an hour with a blind man, over a cup of tea. “Climate change is a very serious cause,” says the actor, who spent time in the interiors of Madhya Pradesh while shooting the movie. When asked about the harsh weather conditions in rural Madhya Pradesh, he says in a deceptively light tone, “I cannot convey the message about climate change to my audience without going through it [myself].”
A special milestone in Mishra’s career was fairly recent, his role as Raje Bauji in the 2013 film, Ankhon Dekhi . The Rajat Kapoor movie, which received critical accolades from the industry and audience, proved to be a turning point for Mishra as an actor, who gained immense praise and accolades for his role of Raje Bauji, the man regarded as an eccentric. For the actor, it’s a statement of his versatility, that he played the role of a man who doesn’t believe in anything he doesn’t see, in Ankhon Dekhi - in stark contrast to the role of a blind man who believes in something no one else discerns, in Kadvi Hawa .
Mishra, seems content with the variety of roles he has been getting since the audience started connecting with his offbeat characters, “ Aise role mil rahe hain jinko kisi ne kabhi kiya nahi ” (I am getting roles which haven’t been portrayed by anyone). The actor is also known for his comic timing in mainstream films like, All the Best , whose dialogue, “Dhondu just chill” made him a household name.
Having essayed a variety of roles, Mishra has a hard time choosing his favourite character. He confides that it ultimately boils down to the audience’s reaction to the character. But, if he were to choose, he enjoyed shooting for Masaan the most (he played the role of Vidyadhar Pathak) as it was shot in Benaras, the town he spent several crucial years. The river Ganga is very dear to the actor’s heart and he loves every city the river runs through including Haridwar, where he shot Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015).
When asked to choose a 1970s character that he wishes to play, he promptly says Balraj Sahni’s role in Garam Hava and Gabbar Singh in Sholay . Mishra says, “[I am most] satisfied when I do something for a social cause,” and endorses movies which have entertainment coupled with a social message. “If, after watching Kadvi Hawa , someone plants a single tree that will be the best,” emphasises the actor.
