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Piyush Mishra

Piyush Mishra in 2016 (cropped)
Piyush Mishra in 2016 (cropped) Image: Wikimedia Commons. Bollywood Hungama / CC BY 3.0

Overview

Piyush Mishra (born Priyakant Sharma; 13 January 1963) is an Indian actor, singer, lyricist, playwright, musician and screenwriter. He began his career in Hindi theatre in Delhi during the late 1980s and 1990s, before moving to Mumbai in 2002, where he became known for his work in Hindi cinema as both a character actor and a songwriter.

Key facts

Born 13 January 1963 (as Priyakant Sharma)
Raised in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
Education National School of Drama, Delhi (graduated 1986)
Occupations Actor, singer, lyricist, playwright, musician, screenwriter
Active in Hindi theatre and Hindi cinema
Based in Mumbai (since 2002)

Background and education

Mishra grew up in Gwalior. He moved to Delhi to study at the National School of Drama (NSD), from which he graduated in 1986. NSD shaped his early grounding in acting, direction and stagecraft, which carried into his subsequent theatre and screen work.

Theatre career

After graduating, Mishra began working in Hindi theatre in Delhi. Over the following decade and more, he established a reputation as a theatre director, actor, lyricist and singer, contributing to the writing and music of stage productions in addition to performing in them.

Film career

In 2002, Mishra relocated to Mumbai to work in the Hindi film industry. He received critical acclaim for his acting in Vishal Bhardwaj's Maqbool (2003) and in Anurag Kashyap's two-part crime saga Gangs of Wasseypur (2012).

Notable songs as lyricist and singer

  • "Arre Ruk Ja Re Bandeh" — Black Friday (2004)
  • "Aarambh Hai Prachand" — Gulaal (2009)
  • "Ik Bagal" — Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1 (2012)
  • "Husna" — Coke Studio (2012)

Timeline

  • 1963 — Born as Priyakant Sharma on 13 January.
  • 1986 — Graduates from the National School of Drama, Delhi.
  • Late 1980s–2002 — Active in Hindi theatre in Delhi as actor, director, lyricist and singer.
  • 2002 — Moves to Mumbai to work in Hindi cinema.
  • 2003 — Appears in Maqbool.
  • 2004 — Writes and sings "Arre Ruk Ja Re Bandeh" for Black Friday.
  • 2009 — Contributes "Aarambh Hai Prachand" to Gulaal.
  • 2012 — Appears in Gangs of Wasseypur; performs "Ik Bagal" and "Husna" (Coke Studio).

Significance

Mishra's career spans theatre and cinema, and within cinema he is unusual in working simultaneously as an actor, lyricist and singer. His association with directors such as Vishal Bhardwaj and Anurag Kashyap, and his lyric and vocal contributions to films like Black Friday, Gulaal and Gangs of Wasseypur, mark him as a recognisable creative voice in independent and parallel-leaning Hindi cinema of the 2000s and 2010s.

References