Pathare Sir, mein zindagi bhar theatre karoonga." Kumud Mishra recalls his parting words to one of the two teachers at the Military Academy in Belgaum, where he studied from Class VII to Class XII. It was at the academy, says Mishra now 53, that he was first introduced to theatre. A shy kid—he says he is still at discomfort in large gatherings—he found his place on stage. School productions headed by Pathare Sir and Janardhan Sir had him play a pandit once and a queen another time—it was an all boys` school. It was much later, that he discovered how good the quality of productions staged at school were.

Mishra, who brings a subtle excellence to all his roles, manages to both, blend into the canvas of the story with his roles and standout as an individual performer, making watching him a pleasure. Having spotted him again in Saif Ali Khan-headlined Amazon Prime web series Tandav as Gopal Das Munshi, a seasoned politician, one wonders what drives the excellence of Mishra`s craft.