Kumud Mishra: "The effort is to set aside your bag of tricks and live an honest moment"

Kumud Mishra in 'Dr Arora - Gupt Rog Visheshagya'.

Kumud Mishra steps into the shoes of Dr Arora - Gupt Rog Visheshagya, a comedy that follows the experiences and life of a sex consultant in the '90s. Created by Imtiaz Ali, and directed by Sajid Ali and Archit Kumar, the show is set in North India and explores a largely taboo topic and how a travelling sexologist deals with his patients.

A few days before the show’s launch (now streaming on SonyLIV), Kumud Mishra, who is best known for his character roles in films such as Article 15, Rockstar and Tandav, spoke about his latest web series and the challenges he faces as an actor even today.

Firstly, I have not done this kind of character before. And secondly, there was a curiosity because whenever we travelled by train, we used to see these advertisements for ‘gupt rog visheshagya’. We would laugh about it and wonder who goes to this person and how does his practice survive? Who has this problem? So when this character came to me, I had the same feeling, that what is this? Who is this person and what can you say about him? Subconsciously your bias comes into it and you judge them. Then when I read the script, I realised how beautifully the writers have taken us into this world and explored people's issues. Dr Arora has his own conflicts. What is happening in his personal life and the world around him is very real and that attracted me. All this excites you as an actor.

Yes, it does. In fact his personal life's layers keep opening up for him and for the audience. There is self discovery and so also the audience will see some relatable aspect in the various characters. I love journeys. I love travelling. For me, as an actor, I am also on a journey of self discovery. Here I was working with some experienced actors and some newcomers, and the newcomers’ performances were impressive. I wondered if I could bring that kind of ease to my performance because after working for several years, you slip into a pattern. How do you break out of that? Sometimes your co-actor helps you do that.

No. I depended wholly on the script. That was the route for my approach.

The entire effort is towards this. In every project you look for a moment which for you is a discovery about yourself. If you get that moment, then the entire film or series is a success. Being truthful is the conflict and the effort is to set aside your bag of tricks and live an honest moment. Sometimes one succeeds and often one does not. But when you do get that moment, it is very encouraging and exciting for an actor because you realise there is more left to discover and to mine. Sometimes you hit a saturation point and think you have peaked. But then a scene can give you a cue or a co-star gives you a new input which you may not have considered and then you find a new trick. The struggle is ongoing.

There is a scene in Filmistan where I am sitting and waiting. There is a hostage and the night is passing, and then a song starts playing in the background. At that moment I sensed something very special. Ram Singh Charlie was very special as also Airlift. I cannot even explain those. In Rockstar, I am eating rajma chawal. There was no dialogue, just me sitting and eating. I liked that scene a lot. As an actor, this was a very special moment. I am only speaking of moments that you have done so truthfully that you believe there is still honesty and truth left.

No, there is no difference. The only difference is from a producer's point of view. I work on a character, irrespective of the length of the role. The scene is from the point of view of a character. However, once the film is made, then yes, your responsibilities do increase, especially if it is an independent film or an inexperienced or new producer. You hope you have not done anything wrong which might jeopardise the producer’s investment. For me even a single line performance is as important as a lead role.

I consider myself lucky to have worked with them repeatedly. When people call you again, you feel you are doing something right. My challenge is that I keep doing things that excite them so they keep wanting to work with me. Your challenge also increases because you cannot be boring, cannot take your craft for granted and cannot get repetitive. When these filmmakers give you a new character, they also give you a new world, and then they want you to show them what you can do. Sometimes it comes easily, but at other times, you get stuck and then they take your hand and guide you.