Kumud Mishra: ‘There are no dream roles, it’s important to portray any character to perfection’

Madh is a very short boat ride across turgid waters. The island across from the Versova fishing village in Mumbai’s northern suburb of Andheri is where several Bollywood luminaries now live. The residents of Madh include Kumud Mishra, the 58-year-old acting powerhouse.

Mishra moved to the island around eight years ago, partly to accommodate the needs of a growing family (his wife is the actor, Ayesha Raza Mishra). The distance from Mumbai’s insistent hubbub is “physical as well as psychological”, Mishra told Scroll. Briefly sharing Mishra’s perch in Madh helps make some sense of his career choices since the late 2000s, which suggest thoughtful accretion at work.

Whether a film is good, bad or indifferent, Mishra leaves an indelible mark. His performance is sometimes concentrated in a face that can summon mobility as well as reserve. The effect can be sonic too, given the velvet texture of Mishra’s voice.

Mishra also has a sometimes unnerving talent for switching expression midway, breaking into a smile or a grimace when least expected. Unpredictability, and therefore unknowable interiority, is one of the National School of Drama alum’s trademarks.

Some of Mishra’s most noteworthy roles have been in Anubhav Sinha’s films, such as Mulk (2018), Article 15 (2019) and Thappad (2020). Mishra’s latest project Assi has a key role...

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