Everything about Piyush Mishra is intense. I remember Ram introducing his songs 'Husna' and 'Ghar' and others and we were all quite shaken by the intensity of the songs and the man. Of course we could easily place him as the intense character actor in several interesting movies - 'Maqbool', 'Gulaal', 'Gangs of Wasseypur', etc. So when Gupta ji suddenly sent me a pic of the book and said he was sending me a copy over I was quite thrilled.
The book is written like a novel. Its his life story. But he addresses himself as Hamlet or as Santap Trivedi into which he changed his name (from Priyansh I think). Born into a large joint family in Gwalior where he grew up with his father, mother, two uncles, a grandmother, his sister, he grew with a fear deep inside him. There are a few lines that he writes which are worth finding and quoting.
'If he stays grounded, he'll touch the sky'
'There's discipline in every bit of indiscipline. You just need the right perspective to see it that way.'
Growing up he did not seem to have the most charming of childhoods - the family was in debt. He wanted to do stuff which did not include studying and finally finds acting as a means of expression (starting from a role of Yama where he enters the stage in an underwear and fully blackened - and slays that role - always creating backstories for himself about the character he was playing and adding depth to them). Friends like Vishnoi, Marathe and others keep him grounded while women like Santo Chacho and a junior school teacher Miss Ginger take advantage of him. He finally falls for Sangini, who is in love with another!
Anyway things happen and he gets into Gwalior Science college and impresses one and all (mostly the rowdy gang) with his singing, gets into Kala Mandir and does drama and then another drama troupe called LBT. Nudged by his good pal Vishnoi who is as spiritual as one gets he gets into NSD with a scholarship.
His days in Delhi are so romantic I want to go and visit Mandi House next time in Delhi. Anyway he finds great fame, Robert De Niro, booze, and his talent explodes on stage as he plays Hamlet and several other plays, becoming a legendary successor to Nadeem Shah and Som Puri (guess who?). Women fall over him, he takes a bit to drinking, does not go to Mumbai like all other actors and decides to make a career in theatre, goes to Mumbai and has a terrible time and comes back vowing never to go back again. Discovers he can compose music, write, act and does a show called 'An Evening with Piyush Mishra' and gains more fame and fans. Joins Ank Ek (Act One) as an artiste.
Comes marriage with Jiya, more drinking, an offer for a film in Mumbai, this time ends better. He meets people like Bharadwaj, Bajpayee, Deepak, Kashyap and so on (most names changed slightly to make it interesting) I loved that line best when Kashyap tells him 'you are god to me'. Then comes more fame when his songs are sung on Coke Studio and he writes for 'Gulaal' and well there we have Piyush Mishra or Hamlet now in his evening years with a happy family - wife and two sons, all the money and success. Sangini comes back to congratulate him and moves on.
Piyush Mishra's novel is the story of any artiste, confused, not knowing what to do with the tons of talent they have. It had to find a creative outlet or it would have consumed him. And in every way as intense as he has always been in my mind. Thank you Gupta ji. I loved it. And anyone wants to read about the struggles of a rebel artiste, don't miss this one.
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