Actor Sanjay Mishra 's recent visit to Varanasi was a trip down memory lane. The 'Masaan' actor, who has spent a considerable part of his childhood in the city, was delighted to be the chief guest at the International Theatre and Film Festival organised at Banaras Hindu University. "I keep on coming to Banaras but this time it was special. I got the chance to visit the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) after a long time and meet people who were known to my father. It brought a rush of memories. I studied at Kendriya Vidalaya in BHU and used to hang around the campus a lot. Maitri Jalpan Grih, a popular canteen which was near our school was our favourite haunt. Chai and samosa served in the cafeteria are just too delicious and I used to feast on it every day. There are loads of memories associated with BHU, which I cherish till date," says the actor. Growing up amidst the rich cultural heritage which Varanasi harbours, Sanjay believes that really helped him to hone his skills as an actor. "I got the chance to listen to stalwarts like Ustad Bismillah Khan , Pt Kishan Maharaj and Girija Devi in Banaras. Seeing such great talent from such close quarters really motivated me as a youngster to do something extraordinary. Banaras is in fact a city full of life where you get the chance to meet different characters which is really enriching for any actor," says Sanjay.Sanjay Mishra (BCCL/ Arvind Kumar)The actor who has his kitty full with diverse roles, says, "I am lucky that I am being given the opportunity to portray different characters. My character in 'Kadvi Hawa' was very diverse from 'Angrezi Mein Kehte Hai' and now I am doing 'Total Dhamal' with Madhuri Dixit . I believe that it is a good phase for me where I am meeting like-minded people who are making films which I believe in. Personal satisfaction is really important to me while opting for a project. 'Kadvi Hawa' might not have garnered great numbers at the Box Office but the kind of response we got during its special screening is really satisfying for me as an actor."The 'Ankhon Dekhi' actor is in fact, of the opinion that small budgeted films should be promoted by the government. "Such films should be kept away from taxation as they don’t earn 100 or 200 crores which big-budget films do. Low budget films should be treated as a small scale industry and should be nurtured by the government, which should also ensure that they get enough screens so that people are able to see it," says Sanjay.A pass-out of National School of Drama, Sanjay says, "Theatre scene has never been very encouraging, especially in small towns. This is the reason why theatre artists are forced to work in TV and films in order to survive. Jab tarkari `60 ke adha kilo bik rahi ho toh theatre se guzara nahi ho sakta hai. It is just futile to talk about what efforts should be made to make theatre flourish in the present scenario."

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