"When you work with a director multiple times, you start to understand how they see the world, and you feel secure," says actor Kumud Mishra, explaining why his collaborations with filmmaker Anubhav Sinha are always special.
Sinha is one filmmaker for whom Mishra would readily accept any role, even a single scene. And Mishra would do the same if approached by directors Anurag Kashyap, Imtiaz Ali, or Nitin Kakkar.
"If you work with someone for years, and you read the story, you understand what the director wants from you. Your preparation starts with reading the script… If you have any doubts, you can discuss them, and it's not just about that particular character, but about the world he inhabits."
"We (actors) are always self-focused, and we approach our characters that way – me, my character, my scene, and how I appear in that scene. But the director looks at the whole world. So, when you work with a director where you know how he sees the world, you feel very secure as an actor because you are just a part of that world; you are not that world. It's a huge relief," Mishra told
Mishra recently starred in Sinha's critically acclaimed film "Assi," alongside Taapsee Pannu, Kani Kusruti, Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub, and Dia Mirza, a film whose title means "80" in Hindi and represents the number of sexual assault cases reported every day in India. "Assi" was released in February.
Over the years, Mishra has been a regular in Sinha's films, appearing in critically acclaimed titles such as "Mulk" (2018), "Article 15" (2019), "Thappad" (2020), "Anek" (2022), and the Netflix series "IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack."
The two first met for a film that is yet to be released. He met Sinha again when the director was working on "Mulk."
The film, which explored the alienation of the Muslim community through the story of a family caught in a terror plot, was almost complete, but Sinha still wanted him to play the role of a judge.
"I initially said no because I thought it wasn't a significant role. But when Anubhav sir is convinced about something, you can't escape. I did that role, and after that, we have worked regularly."
In "Thappad," Mishra earned significant acclaim for his portrayal of an empathetic father who stands by his daughter when she decides to divorce her husband after being slapped. However, the actor considers it one of the most challenging roles of his career.
"I found it very difficult to get into the character in 'Thappad'... 'A good father' is such a generic term. There is no such thing as a good father; it's just one aspect of an individual... I was struggling a lot, but I couldn't express myself… I was lost in myself."
Mishra said that Sinha's filmmaking process is quite unique, as the director involves everyone in it.
"If he has a doubt, he will ask for your opinion, or if he is shooting and you are around... He called me and asked my opinion, but I said, 'hmm'. I was lost in my own character ('Thappad'), and he thought I was not happy with it. I don't know how he got this idea. But he told me later," Mishra recalled.
Mishra said he found the "essence" of the character after he had his scene with Ratna Pathak Shah, who played his on-screen wife.
"She is a great actor. I was struggling until then, but when she started saying her lines, everything fell into place for me. When Anubhav asked me later, 'Are you not happy with this character? I said how is that possible, I was struggling to get into this character. So maybe I couldn't express myself. I was lost in myself," he said.
In "Assi," Mishra portrayed Kartik, a man haunted by the sexual assault of his colleague's wife, prompting him to question the failures of both the legal and social systems.
According to the 58-year-old actor, Sinha's cinema always sparks discussion, which is important in a society where the space for discussion is shrinking.
"I think there cannot be a bigger reward for a filmmaker than a film sparking conversation, whether it was 'Article 15', 'Thappad', 'Bheed', or 'IC814'. That, in itself, is a huge advantage... There is always a discussion, sometimes people get divided also, but it is very interesting because we are living in a society where there is no space for discussion.
"But in a beautiful society, there are always different ideas and discussions; we agree on some things, and we don't agree on some. So, we leave it open until our understanding becomes more mature about that thing. Anubhav's films are compelling in the way they reignite important conversations," Mishra said.