Sanjay Mishra Reveals Heartfelt Stories of Family, Marriage, and Personal Struggles
While audiences know him for memorable performances in films like 'All The Best', 'Aankhon Dekhi', 'Masaan', and the 'Golmaal' series, actor Sanjay Mishra leads a remarkably simple life off-screen. Currently promoting his film 'Vadh 2', Mishra recently opened up in a candid interview about the pillars of his personal world—his family, his marriage, and the profound grief he experienced after his father's passing.
A Simple Girl from the Hills: The Story of an Arranged Marriage
Sanjay Mishra described his wife Kiran as "the backbone of his household", crediting her with raising their two daughters and managing family affairs with grace. "She takes care of the whole family and the house and kids," he said during an interview with Shubhankar Mishra.
Reflecting on their union, Mishra revealed it was an arranged marriage to a woman from a small town he had never heard of before. "Her name is Kiran and she is from the mountains. Ours was an arrange marriage. She is from a small town Didihat from Uttarakhand," he shared, adding that the adjustment period was challenging initially.
The transition to Mumbai proved overwhelming for Kiran, who suddenly found herself surrounded by film personalities after coming from a quiet hill town. "So a girl from a small town suddenly landed in Mumbai among all the actors, and she thinks inka toh alag he chal raha," Mishra recounted with affection.
He humorously recalled advice from fellow actor Saurabh Shukla at the time of his wedding: "Sanjay live in your house like a tenant." Mishra added, "So I live like a tenant in my house and I enjoy it."
Ash-Smeared Grief: A Father's Death and Public Intrusion
In one of the most emotional revelations, Mishra described visiting the ghat where his father's last rites were performed while grieving intensely. Overcome with sorrow and under the influence of alcohol, he asked his driver to take him to the sacred site.
"I went to the Ghat and there was a pyre burning of someone else, I rubbed the ash from that pyre all over my body and started calling out to my father," he recounted. Even in this vulnerable state, Mishra couldn't escape public attention. "But people kept asking for selfies, even when I had smeared ash all over me."
The situation became more poignant when he returned home to find his father-in-law visiting. "When I came home, my father-in-law saw me with ash all over me... and he saw the future of his daughter," Mishra shared. After touching his father-in-law's feet, his driver helped him wash off the ashes. "I was very emotional. I cried a lot for my father at the ghat."
Academic Struggles and Alternative Dreams
Mishra openly admitted that academics were never his strength, recalling how his father worried constantly about his future. "My father used to be very tensed about my future, he had requested me that 'Sanjay, please clear 10 Standard. I can employ you as a watchman in my office'," he revealed.
The actor reflected on what might have been if his talents had been nurtured differently. "Study was not the goal of my life, if they would have given me some instrument like a Sitar at that time, I would have been a singer or sitarist today."
In a touching tribute to his father's wishes, Mishra recently purchased a typewriter—decades after his father's suggestion that learning typing could secure him a monthly income of Rs 700. "My father wanted me to learn type writing so that I can earn Rs 700 a month from being a typewriter. So, now many years after his death, I am learning typewriting," he shared, demonstrating how his father's guidance continues to influence him.
Through these personal stories, Sanjay Mishra paints a picture of a man deeply connected to his roots, grateful for his family's support, and honest about his vulnerabilities—a stark contrast to the comedic characters he often portrays on screen.
