4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 4, 2026 02:33 PM IST
The internet has often pointed out the striking resemblance between Piyush Mishra and Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub – from their facial features to even the texture of their voices. In the past, Zeeshan had spoken up about the comparisons, sharing amusing anecdotes. Now, Piyush Mishra has also spoken about the similarities between the two actors.
Piyush Mishra recalls being mistaken for Zeeshan’s father
In a recent podcast with Shubhankar Mishra, Piyush Mishra admitted that he didn’t notice it at first, but eventually began hearing about it from others, even at home.
He said with a laugh, “I didn’t realise it initially, but much later I found out when everyone started saying that he looks quite similar to me. Even my wife once asked me, ‘What have you done? Did you make some mistake? Where did this product come from?’”
Piyush praised Zeeshan and called him “a very talented and good person.”
The veteran actor also recalled how the confusion dates back to No One Killed Jessica, when people began approaching him to ask whether Zeeshan was his son.
“When No One Killed Jessica released, people asked me if the person acting in it was my son. That was the first time I got introduced to Zeeshan in that sense. I’ve been hosting a party for first-year students at NSD every year for the last 45 years. He was there too, but I hadn’t noticed him then. After watching the film, many people said, ‘Is he your son?’”
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Zeeshan Ayyub on the ‘uncanny similarity’
Zeeshan Ayyub, too, has addressed the comparisons in the past, admitting that even he has noticed overlaps, not just in appearance, but in their voice as well.
“I’ve observed it myself, sometimes when finishing a sentence, there’s a similarity in our voices,” he said in a conversation with Lallantop.
Asked whether the constant comparison ever gets annoying, Zeeshan responded, “After all this time, it’s become like – okay, fine, I get it. Especially when people point out that our voices are similar. Initially, it felt like appreciation for Piyush bhai. Back then, I didn’t even know him. To be honest, we do look alike. I’ve seen his younger photos, there’s an uncanny similarity.”
When Piyush Mishra called Zeeshan
One of the most memorable moments came after Raanjhanaa, when Zeeshan received an unexpected call from Piyush Mishra during the film’s success celebrations in Mumbai.
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“There was a success party happening in Mumbai when my phone rang from an unknown number. I picked it up and a voice said, ‘Hello, is this Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub?’ I said yes. He replied, ‘This humble person is called Piyush Mishra.’ I said, ‘Yes Piyush bhai, tell me.’ We had met a couple of times at NSD, but he didn’t remember me.”
What followed was hilarious. “He said, ‘You’ve met me before, but tell me this: how were you even born?’ I was confused. He said, ‘People are calling me and saying your son has done a great job in Raanjhanaa. My wife is suspicious, she’s asking where this child came from!’”
Zeeshan recalled laughing it off and reminding him of their earlier meetings, after which Piyush invited him over.
“Later he said, ‘How do you even speak like me? People just make things up.’”
Apart from films and shows, Piyush also performs with his musical band, Ballimaaraan. Zeeshan Ayyub was last seen in Anubhav Sinha’s Assi.
