Sanjay Mishra outlines the importance of having an A-lister attached to a small film and looks back at his acting journey
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 26, 2020)

Mirror was the first to report (January 31) that Shah Rukh Khan has come on-board Hardik Mehta’s Kaamyaab as one of the producers. The film chronicles the struggles of actors who play supporting roles in the Hindi film industry. Sanjay Mishra, the film’s leading man, says it’s a big deal that someone like Shah Rukh is supporting a small film.

“Neither I nor Manish Mundra (producer) had dreamt of having someone like him on board. A lot of other actors should step in to support small films. The budget of Kaamyaab is lower than the cost of vanity vans parked on the sets of big budget films,” Sanjay points out, adding, “Shah Rukh lives in people’s hearts and the level of energy he brings to the table is unrivaled.”

The actor goes on to point out that the role resonated with him as he, too, has spent a better part of his acting career playing supporting roles. “The character is a very bad actor, but I am not that bad in real life,” he clarifies with a laugh, explaining that the film is a comical take on the clichés pertaining to character artists.

Reminiscing about his early days in the industry, Sanjay says that he took baby steps to prove himself as an actor. “A lot more still remains to be done. But I have lived with honesty and the aim to ensure quality education for my kids,” he asserts, adding that, in Mumbai, he transformed from Sanjay to ‘sir’. “It has been a journey worth witnessing.”

Incidentally, Sanjay had made his acting debut with the Shah Rukh-starrer Oh Darling Yeh Hai India in 1995. However, he was recognised for his work only three years later, with Ram Gopal Varma’s critically acclaimed gangster-drama Satya. Sanjay begs to differ. “I believe the game-changing film is yet to happen for me.”