Love, lust, politics, poetry and singing songs on a harmonium were only few of the striking notes of actor-lyricist Piyush Mishra’s session here at the second day of Jashn-e-Adab poetry festival.

But, it was the distinctly young audience’s response to one of his yet-to-be published poems written around the life of a prostitute that triggered him to say, “It is our responsibilty to give them something better”.

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“Today’s youth wants to do so much, but we are not inspiring them. They want us to give them Gulaal, else they would go and watch some senseless film. It is our responsibility to give them something better.

Visibly impressed by the audience’s response after the poem, “Tum meri jaan ho Raziya bi”, the actor said that the young people always surprise him.

“Each time I come with a new poem I feel I will be hooted out. I feel you would not understand the topic, but you always prove me wrong,” he said.

Mishra, who will be speaking at a number of sessions during the 6th edition of the poetry festival, mentioned how the topics of his poems are often around or carry a hint of social issues.

“What will be the language of your poetry, what will be the topic when 26/11 is happening, Kashmiri Pandits are displaced from their homes, cow vigilantes are on rampage, little kids are getting raped, somebody is throwing acid on girls,” he said.

Mishra, who had been to Pakistan recently, also talked about the likeliness of the two countries and how he was received warmly by the locals of Islamabad.

“Pakistan is just like us, with barely any difference.

And what to say about the people, such amazing people. And they just love people from India with great hospitality, maybe even better than us,” he said.

The day also saw sessions by actor Rajpal Yadav, Sanjay Mishra, lyricist Irshad Kamil along with film-maker Muzaffar Ali, Anusha Rizvi among others.