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Theatre Day Special | Piyush Mishra: ‘Theatre live art hai, it will never die down’
On World Theatre Day, actor Piyush Mishra talks about his love for theatre and how he looks at the medium.
On this Theatre Day, celebrated across the globe to honor the art form that transcends time, seasoned actor Piyush Mishra, reminisces on the essence of theatre and says, “Usme maza aata hai kyuki live interaction hota hai (The live interaction is fun). Whereas, cinema mai aap audience tak camera ke through pahuchte hain, toh live interaction ho hi nahi paata (It is different from films). Theatre gives a chance of rehearsals, which do not exist in cinema. You can rehearse for at least two months to improve and experiment with your performance.” Also read: Master class at NSD, Delhi ft Piyush Mishra and Mukesh Chhabra
On differences between cinema and theatre
He added, "Rehearsals are very important. Aap jitna adhik rehearsals karenge, utni aapki skills groom hongi (The more you rehearse, the better you perform). It helps in growing continuously, because you are doing ten productions at a time. It gives a positive result. On the other hand, cinema requires a prepared actor, koi aapko acting seekhaata nahi hai (No one teaches you acting for a film). Aap karden, paise len, aur ghar chale jaayen (You just perform, take your fees and go home)," highlighting the stark differences between cinema and theatre.
‘You cannot do theatre without money’
Reflecting on his journey, Mishra recalls his humble beginnings and shares, "In earlier days, I even did theatre without money. But, bina paise ke nahi hota hai theatre (You cannot do theatre without money). Aaj kal theatre mai paisa hai (Today even theatre has money). Gone are those days when big producers never used to put their money into it. Having said that, paise nahi hota toh hum bahut complaint karte hain ki paisa nahi hai (If there is no money, we complaint about it)," the 61-year-old continues, “Lekin jab paisa ajaata hai toh raamdev hojaate hain ki ab toh paise se hojayega, production values badhjayengi, so kahin na kahin pradooshit hojaata hai theatre paisa aate hi But when money comes, we think of improving production value, which all changes theatre). The same has been going on for 40 years as I can see. Aise maine dekha hai, mai galat bhi hosakta hu (This has been my observation, I might be wrong).”
On future of theatre
He entered theatre on his own but it's his mentors who were there for him all along. "In Gwalior, I looked up to actors like Vijay Modak and Nana Gadwaikar, unko dekh ke lagta tha ki hum aisi acting kab kar paayenge (I used to wonder if I can act). And after coming to NSD, there was my German teacher Fritz Bennewitz, Naseeruddin Shah, NK Sharma, and Ranjit Kapoor, all these were my mentors," the actor adds.
Despite the challenges, Mishra remains optimistic about the future of theatre. "And, I don't think theatre is any less appreciated now, pehle se badh gaya hai," he remarks, "It is a live art, vo kabhi marr nahi sakta (it cannot die). 120 saal pehle kahan tha cinema, theatre tha, Shakespeare ke waqt se hai (there was no cinema 120 years ago, only theatre since Shakespeare's era)."
Sharing a recent anecdote, he tells us, "There was an Assam production this time called Raghunath, just amazing. These people never saw the face of cinema, but they surpassed our plays and won many awards at the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META). META is one of the most prestigious theatre competitions in India."
The best part about theatre?
"The best part about theatre is that it gives a chance to emote, that's a good feeling. You cannot define that feeling. Hamlet is a performance that will always stay in my heart, it was the beginning for me. Aapko plays se zyada shows yaad rehte hain (It is easy to remember shows compared to plays). For example, yesterday, the third show was my best and today the first one," adds Mishra.
As Mishra looks ahead, he plans to delve back into cinema, armed with a lineup of promising projects. "Mujhe koi problem nahi hoti, sirf maza aata hai sab cheezein saath karne mai (I have no problem, I enjoy everything). I enjoy singing, writing, acting and directing all at once. Ab maine kaafi dino se cinema kia nahi hai, next ab uspe focus karunga (I have not done filsm for a while now, will focus on it now)," concludes the actor, whose lineup includes Azaad, Indian part 2, and web series Illegal part 3.
