'Vadh' is Test match, 'Cirkus' is T-20: Sanjay Mishra

Acclaimed actor Sanjay Mishra says he wants to play a longer innings in the field of cinema as an all-rounder who displays his skills in films ranging from a gritty drama like Vadh to Cirkus, a commercial entertainer.

While Vadh, a thriller is slated to be released Friday, period comedy Cirkus will hit the screens on December 23.

"Balancing is fun. Films come and go. Some do a business of Rs 200-400 crore. Then, there are some films that don't break even. These other films will be successful when the audience will flock to the theatres to watch them," Mishra told PTI in an interview.

"Vadh is a Test match... And even after all these years, Rohit sir asks me to wear a pad, get a bat, and says 'Let's play T-20'. So, you have to become a cricketer who can play both Test and T-20 matches," he added.

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Set in Gwalior, Vadh revolves around a simple family that finds itself at the centre of the investigation of a gruesome murder. The film is written and directed by Jaspal Singh Sandhu and Rajeev Barnwal.

The Darbhanga-born actor said he has an interesting image of a performer who fits in both big-budget comedies like the Golmaal movies and acclaimed social dramas such as Ankhon Dekhi and Kaamyaab.

Saying yes to Vadh, also starring Neena Gupta, was a no-brainer for Mishra when the makers said they wrote the film with him in mind.

"I listened to the story and found it to be very interesting. Then I was told that Neena ji is also in the film and that we will shoot it in Gwalior. There were many reasons to board the project."

The National School of Drama alumnus said people will relate to the film because the character who is carrying the story is also a common person.

"This can be their mother or father. We search for films in our daily life. If something happens on the road, people also want to know what happened," he added.

The upcoming movie, Mishra said, is a challenge for both him and his fans.

"I had never received an offer to work in a film like this, so I had to say yes. It's not only a challenge for me but also for the audience who tend to only look at me as a comedian. I think I have done a decent job. Now the viewers will tell me if I made the right decision or should I only stick to doing what I do in comedy films," the 59-year-old actor added.

The trailer of Vadh bears some similarities with the Shraddha Walkar murder case but Mishra said the film has no connection with it.

"Heinous crimes are not new to our society. It's pure coincidence that our trailer happens to be showing the events in the film that are quite similar to what happened in real life in this case. It's just by chance. This film has no relation to the case," he added.

After Vadh, the actor hopes to entertain the section of the audience that always looks forward to his comedy outings. He has previously worked with Shetty in films such as Zameen, the Golmaal comedy franchise and Dilwale to name a few.

There is something refreshing about working with the director, said Mishra.

"A film like Cirkus is also my playground. Rohit Shetty has high hopes for me and I have high hopes for him. And the audience has high hopes from both of us. Audience has loved whatever work we have done together. This time too we hope we entertain the viewers. This is a fun film, without logic, just lots of laughter," he added.

"Vadh" is backed by J Studio and Next Level Production. Filmmaker Luv Ranjan's Luv Films is presenting the film.