Now I know why actors go into depression: Sanjay Mishra

Actor Sanjay Mishra, who is best known for his comedy roles, says making people laugh is easier than playing an intense character. He has proved his acting mettle with films like Ankhon Dekhi, Masaan and Kadvi Hawa.

“Bahut gajab-gajab filmey kar raha hoon character-wise. And, such characters make a deep impact on your own character. Recently, I shot for a social-thriller film ‘Gwalior’. The film and its story are such that I hardly talked for 15 days after completing the film,” says the actor on his recent visit to Lucknow.

Sanjay and Neena Gupta play husband and wife in Gwalior. “It’s a story of an ordinary couple but sequence of events happens in a way that things go out of hand. Bahut hi khatarnak tha sab (it was all very dangerous). The character is very grey in nature and it’s for the first time I am playing such a character,” he says.

To come out of it, Sanjay says he remained away from everything. “I was not able to understand what is happening to me. Only rendering dialogue and doing acting do not work with me. One has to get into the character, the actor has to feel and live it during the course of acting. If I don’t feel that way, I can’t make the audience feel the same about it,” he says.

The actor says that now he understands why actors go into depression after playing Hamlet and other intense roles. “Now that I am playing such impactful characters, I believe such things can happen! Ankho Dekhi also left a big impact on me. In Kadvi Hawa (on climate change), we shot in June (above 45 degrees Celsius temperature) in Dhaulpur in the ravines of Chambal. Thereafter, I suffered from skin disease for 6 months. No air, no water, high temperature --when you get into that, the audience too feel the pain and conditions there,” he says.

Sanjay is getting versatile roles to play. “Now, I am getting work that is really tough! All this happened after Ankhon Dekhi. That film changed the perception about me in the industry. Till then people thought that I am only limited to comedy. Now more intense and layered characters are being offered. It’s the love of the audience that makes me go through such a grind, only to hear them say one day, Sanjay tumne kuch alag kaam kiya!”

“After doing different kinds of characters, now I feel satisfied. Had I been in Hindi cinema some 20 years back, I would have been labeled as a comedian! ‘Gwalior’, ‘Kamyab’, ‘Adhaar’, ‘Death on Sunday’ and ‘Ghadvi’… I m very lucky that I am able to get such varied roles. One or two more grey shades are on offer.”

He has also shot Milan Talkies and Jabaria Jodi in Lucknow and there is talk for another film that is scheduled to happen here.

The actor stars in series ‘Booo Sabki Phategi’ that is now premiering on OTT platform. “It’s a fun series with Farhat Samji. I have done Entertainment, Housefull and other projects with him, so when he asked me that I am needed I was in. I enjoy such light projects and the audience enjoys with me too,” he says.

A typical Banarasi, he says, “Kabhi aadmi ki apni aukat nahi bhoolna chahiye, jaat nahi bahoolni chahiye aur sheher nahi bhoolna chahiye!”