'The thought of sitting alone scares me'

Acclaimed director Sudhir Mishra, whose Chameli and Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi are considered masterpieces, has a childhood dream - he wants to write a novel.

"I want to be a novelist. I want to write a novel, it was my childhood dream and I wanted to do it since I was 16-year-old. The thought of sitting alone scares me, so I want to write," said Mishra.

He made his first film Ye Woh Manzil Toh Nahin in 1987 with theatre veterans Habib Tanvir and Manohar Singh. It won him the National Award for best first film of a director.

He followed it up with critically acclaimed films Main Zinda Hoon (1988), Dharavi (1992) and Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin (1996). But his most appreciated films are Chitrangada Singh-Shiney Ahuja-starrer Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Chameli that had Kareena Kapoor in the title role.

Mishra's next will be Neil Nitin Mukesh- starrer Tera Kya Hoga Jhony, scheduled for an August release.

He is also working on Dil Dar Badar that will hit the screens in October. It stars Irrfan Khan and Chitrangada.

"I am happy with both the films. I am just finishing the post-production of Dil Dar Badar. I worked for the first time with Irrfan and I liked working with him; I worked again with Chitrangada after a gap and had a great time," he said.

At the moment the director is busy anchoring Master Class series for the FOX History and Entertainment Channel.

"It's a show in which I talk to some of the best filmmakers of the industry and take a look at their craft, inspiration and vision as a tribute to them," Mishra said.

"I am not trying to be an anchor. I am just trying to probe the lives of other filmmakers, their craft and record them for prosperity. I will be seen talking to them in detail to bring out the nature of their craft that makes them special. I hope someone will do the same for me too," he added.

Some of the filmmakers Mishra has interviewed include Danny Boyle, Shyam Benegal, Ramesh Sippy, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Mira Nair and Shekhar Kapur.

So who did he enjoy interviewing the most?

"I enjoyed with them all. Mira Nair is a good friend. We both are from Delhi University. I also like and admire Shyam Benegal; I have grown up watching his movies. Ramesh Sippy is also a great filmmaker. I had a great time with everyone as they are here (on the show) because they are the masters of cinema," he said.

Mishra, who made his acting debut in Madhur Bhandarkar's Traffic Signal, says he won't mind going in front of the camera again. "I would surely like to act if Madhur asks me to act in any of his future projects," he said.