Aatm Prakash Mishra: I prefer to go slowly and steadily

Actor Aatm Prakash Mishra left his hometown Bahraich in 2009 to pursue acting. Eleven years after he got his big break with Jamtara: Sabka Number Aayega (2020) and now with back-to-back projects happening, he feels that he is ready to fly.

“It took me around 9-10 years to make a debut. Before that I was doing theatre, graduation from Madhya Pradesh School of Drama, masters from Mumbai University Academy of theatre arts. Mumbai is a mayanagari in true sense and those who have deep roots, taken proper education and going through process will make it in the long run,” tells the Criminal Justice-3 actor on his visit to Lucknow.

Initially Mishra started theatre with Alok Chatterjee and Padma Shri Bansi Kaul in Bhopal and later took up commercial theatre in Mumbai.

“A lot of people come to Mumbai and take up a crash course to become an actor. To each to its own but it’s not that simple. I feel the journey I have lived will keep me afloat for long. There is no capsule to make you an overnight actor!”

Mishra has been part of a Broadway: Gandhi the Musical along with a number of plays with ace actor Raghubir Yadav.

“My first show became a sleeper hit and it changed life of all who were part of the show including me. I was always very sure that I won’t just do anything. I have refused several episodic shows. Unfortunately, lockdown did put a brake but eventually work came my way. I shot Zeishan Quadri’s series Farrey in Ranchi but that got shelved,” he tells.

Mishra’s last show started streaming in August this year. “My camaraderie with Pankaj Tripathi came out very well on screen. I played his brother-in-law, an advocate. I believe things are on right track for me. Soon I have two shows releasing — Siksha Mandal as well as season two of my debut show that we shot in Lucknow last year same time.”

The actor is in no hurry. “I have already refused two films. For me, it’s important that what I am doing in the story and how important is the role. I will surely love to lead a show someday but for me length of the role never matters if it’s worth it! I will prefer to go slow and steady. Meanwhile, I will keep on improving my craft. That’s what I have learnt in all these years,” he concludes.