Anurag Kashyap and I are contradicting personalities: Piyush Mishra

You are here for a poetry festival. Do you think youngsters understand poetry?
Earlier, I thought they couldn't, but I was wrong. I think youngsters want to hear poetry, but they are only fed cr*p. I think the songs of Gulaal are popular in campuses. Most of the comments on my poetry online are also by youngsters.
We have always seen you in different kinds of cinema; how did The Shaukeens happen?
People have stereotyped me as a dark cinema actor, NSD actor and Anurag Kashyap actor ' I don't know why...especially when I have done films like Tere Bin Laden and Rockstar too. I am tired of doing dark cinema; I want to enjoy myself. I don't have a problem playing any well-defined character. In fact, I enjoyed playing a sexually-starved old man in The Shaukeens. The greater the variety of roles, the better. Let me breathe too.
Tell us about your bond with Anurag Kashyap...
I have met Anurag just five times in six years ' the last time, I think, was at his and Kalki Koechlin's wedding. Our personalities and mentalities don't match at all. We think very differently and are poles apart. Unfortunately, we did two films together ' Gangs of Wasseypur and Gulaal ' which went on to become critically acclaimed. Otherwise, I am dead against dark cinema. I hated his movies Ugly and Raman Raghav 2.0. Cinema is what Raju Hirani makes, feel-good stories that a family can watch together and get entertained.
What are your upcoming projects?
I have a role in the comedy film Happy Bhaag Jayegi. I am also doing an intense courtroom drama with Amitabh Bachchan and an Indo-Candian project about abandoned brides.
Do you think short films are seeing a resurgence?
Short films are convenient and affordable. I think making short films is an art as you have to tell a story in 10 minutes, which others will take two hours to tell. And now, they have a market thanks to the internet. I like short films because of the variety of roles they offer.
You have done one Telugu film and one Tamil film. When can we see you doing a Kannada film?
I had done the films in my bad times ' when I was just starting out in 2003 ' in desperation when I had no money. But I did not enjoy them at all. Films are a game of emotions. How can I emote in a language I can't think in? So I have stopped accepting offers for such films.
You changed your name from Priyakant Sharma to Piyush Mishra. What prompted the change?
I changed my surname to Mishra as I was adopted by my father's sister. So I thought, 'Why not change my name too?' Anyway, I never liked the name Priyakant. There was a rebellious streak in me too. I had a certain dislike towards my parents and thought, 'I will not keep the name you gave me.' My other option for a name was Anurag.
Your session in the poetry festival was called Arre Ruk Ja Re Bande, based on a song written by you. How relevant is the song now when there is a constant debate on intolerance?
It is fully relevant. Hindus and Muslims keep fighting among themselves because they are stupid. The purpose of the song was to be a slap in the face. As for intolerance, I think it was more during the Congress rule. I am not pro-BJP, but I am anti-Congress.
You don many hats like an actor, lyricist, scriptwriter and even singer. What do you enjoy the most?
I like acting more than anything else.
Being a scriptwriter and an actor, is there a role that you would like to write for yourself?
I like to act in roles written by others as it is too much of a burden to take on multiple responsibilities in a project.