Piyush Mishra

Man, Piyush Mishra is one of those all-rounders you just can’t pin down. The guy’s got his fingerprints all over Indian theatre and cinema. Born and raised in the heart of Gwalior, he soaked up the city’s old-school vibes before packing his bags for Delhi’s National School of Drama. Graduated in ’86, and honestly, he never looked back. Mishra’s early days were all about theatre—the kind of raw, gritty stuff that actually gets under your skin. He wasn’t just acting, either. Nah, he jumped right into writing and directing for the Act-1 group through the nineties. Those plays? Real edge to them, not your typical, safe fare. He kept things rolling with Asmita Theatre in ’96, where he basically owned the stage with his one-man shows. People would show up just to see him let loose for a couple hours; it was almost like a cult thing. Don’t even get started on his music—this dude’s pen game is insane. Lyrics that cut straight through. He wrote for Asmita’s most popular plays and, trust me, you could feel every word. Mishra’s voice, both literally and as a writer, just hits different. He’s the kind of artist who doesn’t really fit into any box—he’s been a scriptwriter, a dialogue guy, a singer, even a director for both stage and screen. Basically, if you’re talking about Hindi theatre or indie cinema, his name’s gonna pop up sooner or later.