Actor Kumud Mishra speaks about stepping out of his comfort zone for Anubhav Sinha’s next directorial venture, Assi, a role he initially resisted but ultimately embraced.
There won’t be an Anubhav Sinha project that Mishra would want to refuse. Yet the director never takes their equation for granted, always sending him the script and asking which part he would like to play. With Assi, Mishra picked a role for himself, but Sinha had other plans. “But he had something else in his mind for me. He gave me a character that I felt was not for me at all. I thought it belonged to someone else. But he said, ‘Aap karenge aur uske liye aapko tayyar hona hoga’.”
Anubhav Sinha
Though he agreed, Mishra was apprehensive. “Every character has a look. Your physique should be closer to that of the character. So, I didn’t feel I was ready for this role,” the actor told mid-day. With only two months to prepare, he had to lose weight. “First I said yes but then I got scared if I would be able to pull it off. I feel in this film, I worked harder on losing weight than on acting,” he laughs.
Reuniting with Taapsee Pannu was a joy. “Her honesty towards her work is terrific. When you have worked with someone several times, you develop a comfort factor and surety that you will be able to create something good.”
Films Anubhav Sinha and Kumud Mishra have done together
. Mulk (2018)
. Thappad (2020)
. Anek (2022)
. Bheed (2023)
. Assi (2026)
