He is the man behind the captivating dialogues and screenplay of Ghajini, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Chittagong, Agneepath and many more. He also penned the profound lyrics for the songs of Black Friday, Tashan, Gulaal and Gangs of Wasseypur. From writing to playing myriad roles, the multi-talented Piyush Mishra’s journey as an artist, dialogue writer, lyricist, singer and poet, has become a real life example of how consistent hard work leads to success.

Speaking exclusively to thestatesman.com on the sidelines of the Delhi International Queer Theatre and Film Festival held recently, Mishra shared his views on the LGBT community. He said, “They are so affectionate and loving. I do not think there is any difference between this community and heterosexuals. They are more warm and welcoming. I believe it is us, the heterosexuals who indulge in ugly crimes unlike the LGBT community, which believes in spreading love.”

Overwhelmed by the festival’s spirit, the easy-going actor said, “This aims at spreading awareness, love and acceptance for this community. Nature created all living beings. They are not unnatural. There is a gap between society and nature that needs to be bridged. The misunderstanding between the two must be clarified.”

When asked about the role closest to his real self, Mishra said he “relates to all the roles” he has played and is currently playing the part of a bandmaster life following the launch of his band, Ballimaran.

The 53 year-old Mishra has been loved and appreciated for his performances in movies like Gulaal, Rockstar, Tere Bin Laden and many more. When asked about a possible biopic on him, the modest man replied he is not worth writing about. “There will not be an autobiography either, although I am writing a novel these days titled Hamlet Kabhi Bombay Nahi Gaya (Hamlet Never Went to Bombay). It is related to my life but it can’t be called an autobiography. It is a piece of fiction,” he said. Mishra has often left his audience spellbound with his poems and songs, one being the self-composed song Husna, which has been an MTV Coke Studio sensation. 

He performed the same song and shared excerpts from his recent book at the Delhi International Queer Theatre and Film Festival. When asked about the driving force behind this song, Mishra said, “I have no idea how it turned out to be so deep. I had worked on it for a very long time. It was written on 30 January 1995. The situation and my feelings towards it were the driving forces behind it.”