Actor-writer Piyush Mishra has once again spoken openly about a difficult phase in his marriage, sharing how years of emotional distance, infidelity and eventual honesty changed his relationship with his wife, Priya Narayanan. In a candid conversation with Shubhankar Mishra, he reflected on his past behaviour and the one reason his wife chose to stay despite everything.
He went further, making a striking confession about how long it took him to accept his role. “I accepted very late that I had become a husband, it took me a long time. Nearly 10–15 years to realise that she is my wife. Before that, she was just a woman who had my children, cooked for me, and took care of the house. I had no feelings beyond that,” he said.
Describing that phase, he added, “I was a very dry person, not just with Priya, but with everything. I didn’t feel anything.”
“She loved me. She had run away from home for me and married me against her parents’ wishes. She had sacrificed so much. She said, ‘I will not divorce you no matter what, you can do anything, but I won’t leave you,’” he shared.
He acknowledged that it was her strength that held the relationship together. “It was her greatness that she stayed with me. Today I understand it, there’s no other word for it. It was her greatness that she held the marriage together. I am fortunate.”
The actor also spoke about the moment he decided to come clean about his mistakes. It did not happen quickly. He said it took years before he could even bring himself to talk about it.
“When I realised my mistakes, I sat her down one day and told her everything I had done. We were both crying, and we embraced each other. After that, we felt lighter,” he said.
Recalling her response, he added, “She said, ‘You made mistakes, I did too, you made more, I made fewer. Let’s end these matters here.’ Our understanding became very strong.”
“For the last 15 years, after practising Vipassana, I began to feel. I started understanding that the other person also suffers and deserves empathy. Before that, I was a strange man, very antisocial. If I hadn’t had work, I might have been completely isolated. Work saved me,” he said.
He also admitted that both he and his wife were going through their own struggles during that time. “We both needed to improve our lives—it wasn’t just about me. Priya was also struggling, and so was I. We were both going through a difficult mental phase.”
According to him, reaching complete honesty did not happen overnight. “It took 5–6 years to finally say it all. One day, we decided to do it. Initially, it was a shock for both of us. But after that, life became much better. There was nothing left to hide—and then we could move forward.”
Piyush Mishra and Priya Narayanan got married in 1995 and have two sons. Today, the actor says he understands the value of what he almost took for granted, admitting that the relationship survived because his wife chose to stay when she could have walked away.
A marriage he didn’t understand for years
Looking back, Piyush admitted that he failed to understand what marriage really meant in the early years. He said, “Now I am a good husband; I wasn’t earlier. Back then, I wasn’t responsible at all, and marriage is a very big responsibility. When you fall in love at 20, there’s no logic to it, that’s the beauty of it. But after 35, you love the person who is willing to grow old with you.”He went further, making a striking confession about how long it took him to accept his role. “I accepted very late that I had become a husband, it took me a long time. Nearly 10–15 years to realise that she is my wife. Before that, she was just a woman who had my children, cooked for me, and took care of the house. I had no feelings beyond that,” he said.
Describing that phase, he added, “I was a very dry person, not just with Priya, but with everything. I didn’t feel anything.”
What made his wife stay
Despite his extra-marital affairs, Piyush said his wife never chose to leave him. According to him, the reason was simple but deeply personal.“She loved me. She had run away from home for me and married me against her parents’ wishes. She had sacrificed so much. She said, ‘I will not divorce you no matter what, you can do anything, but I won’t leave you,’” he shared.
He acknowledged that it was her strength that held the relationship together. “It was her greatness that she stayed with me. Today I understand it, there’s no other word for it. It was her greatness that she held the marriage together. I am fortunate.”
The actor also spoke about the moment he decided to come clean about his mistakes. It did not happen quickly. He said it took years before he could even bring himself to talk about it.
“When I realised my mistakes, I sat her down one day and told her everything I had done. We were both crying, and we embraced each other. After that, we felt lighter,” he said.
Recalling her response, he added, “She said, ‘You made mistakes, I did too, you made more, I made fewer. Let’s end these matters here.’ Our understanding became very strong.”
How self-realisation came slowly
Piyush also linked his change in mindset to introspection and spiritual practice. Over time, he began to feel emotions more deeply and understand others better.“For the last 15 years, after practising Vipassana, I began to feel. I started understanding that the other person also suffers and deserves empathy. Before that, I was a strange man, very antisocial. If I hadn’t had work, I might have been completely isolated. Work saved me,” he said.
He also admitted that both he and his wife were going through their own struggles during that time. “We both needed to improve our lives—it wasn’t just about me. Priya was also struggling, and so was I. We were both going through a difficult mental phase.”
According to him, reaching complete honesty did not happen overnight. “It took 5–6 years to finally say it all. One day, we decided to do it. Initially, it was a shock for both of us. But after that, life became much better. There was nothing left to hide—and then we could move forward.”
Piyush Mishra and Priya Narayanan got married in 1995 and have two sons. Today, the actor says he understands the value of what he almost took for granted, admitting that the relationship survived because his wife chose to stay when she could have walked away.