'Ram Singh Charlie' highlights the tragedy of circus artistes: actor Kumud Mishra

Actor Kumud Mishra says his role of a Charlie Chaplin-impersonator-turned-labourer in “Ram Singh Charlie” is an ode to circus artistes who are struggling for survival today. It is important to feel the character,” he said. Mishra said he once visited a circus with his son who loved the performances the way the actor had in his childhood.

Actor Kumud Mishra says his role of a Charlie Chaplin-impersonator-turned-labourer in "Ram Singh Charlie" is an ode to circus artistes who are struggling for survival today. Once a thriving entertainment medium, the circus is now considered a dying art but Mishra has a lot of affection for these artists.

Known for his memorable roles in films such as "Jolly LLB 2", "Rustom", "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story", "Article 15" and "Thappad", Mishra said the circus was considered a huge attraction in his childhood. "But circus has been left behind. The feel of the live interaction has gone away," the actor told PTI in an interview. "There are so many people working in a circus that you need a huge economical backing for it to sustain and for that you need audience support. Most of the circus scenes are either closed or struggling for survival. Our film is about this tragedy," Mishra added.

After a series of character roles, Mishra takes the centre stage in "Ram Singh Charlie" where he plays a man who is forced to become a rickshaw-puller after the circus he grew up in closes down. "This was a dream role for me. There was so much to show in terms of performance. You have such a vast life from where you can borrow instances, references. Most of the things that go into building a character come from your own experiences with family, friends, or from literature. It is important to feel the character," he said.

Mishra said he once visited a circus with his son who loved the performances the way the actor had in his childhood. The actor, however, was struck by the struggle behind those smiling faces. "For my son, it was a miracle. But I was thinking 'how these people appear so happy and smiling, do comedy, play tricks, and entertain everyone. What is actually their life like'? When I saw it closely, I realized there is excitement in this world which everyone sees it but there is a lot of struggle behind it." The actor credits director Nitin Kakkar, with whom he has worked earlier in "Filmistan" and "Jawaani Jaaneman", for extracting "a wonderful performance" from him.

As someone who shines even in the tiniest parts, Mishra said he never gave importance to the length of his roles but felt the sense of an added responsibility in "Ram Singh Charlie", which started streaming on SonyLIV from Friday. "When you do a scene, you think whether you are going right or not. These insecurities are there," he said.

"Ram Singh Charlie" also features Divya Dutta, Akarsh Khurana, Farrukh Seyer and Sharib Hashmi.