Actor Pankaj Tripathi’s filmography, especially in the last few years, has been unlike anything we have seen before. The actor has showcased his range from intense roles to humorous ones (and everything in between) in films and on the digital space. Hence it is fitting that the actor was recently honoured by Indian Film Festival of Melbourne with the Diversity in Cinema Award. The actor was presented with the award for his ‘unparalleled contribution’ to Indian cinema by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap.
In a free-wheeling chat with News18, the actor talked about the award, as well as his journey as one of the most sought after actors of our generation. He also talked about his process, and picked a few rare characters that he liked more than others.
Talking about the Diversity in Cinema Award, Tripathi said, “I feel very happy. I am grateful and thankful that I have been honoured with the Diversity Award in Melbourne Film Festival and I have received the love of the critics and audience. I will continue to work hard and this award will inspire me to do even better.”
Apart from the award, he was also nominated for Best Performance (Male) for Ludo and Mirzapur. “I play my roles with a lot of hardwork and sincerity. When my work reaches people and they appreciate it, and give me love as an actor, it is a very humbling experience. I feel like I am going in the right direction, with the kind of films and the roles coming my way. Hopefully my journey moving forward also is good,” he shared.
The actor also talked about his professional relationship with Anurag kashyap, who directed him in Gangs of Wasseypur, often considered to be Tripathi’s break-out performance. He said, “I first met Kashyap during Gangs of Wasseypur. He has even talked about the fact that he did not know me before I worked in his film. But he is a very courageous and brave director, and trusts his actors a lot. He also trusted me a lot. During the event, I had said that with Gangs of Wasseypur, Anurag rediscovered me. I was in small roles in some films, but my talent was almost lost. So Kashyap is the man who rediscovered my talent.
“After Gangs of Wasseypur, people started asking who I was, and what I did before. But I was very much here (in Bollywood). I have been here since 2004 and Gangs of Wasseypur came in 2012, so during the eight years, I was here only. But I was lost in a few small roles. In fact, after Gangs of Wasseypur I had done a few projects where I was lost again. But that is life, what will you do? Whatever happens, happens for the good.”
The actor has often talked about struggling to find work for eight years. So what kept him going despite hardships? “Because I knew that one day a better time would come for me. I’m joking, I did not know that [laughs]. I never felt like I was going through hardships during these hardships. I kept working with sincerity and I kept working on my craft. Whether or not I got roles, I would keep polishing my craft. I would constantly keep thinking about ways to make my work better. My wife was there to support me. Our expenses were less so our life kept going well. But I was always dedicated to my craft. So the time I didn’t have any work was my preparation time,” he said.
Many of Tripathi’s roles are relatable, and represent the common man. Even when he is playing a gangster, the audience find them worthy of rooting for. “I always try to make my characters interesting. In my life, I have tried to not fall into the rat-race or the trap of opportunity, career or positioning. I have tried to keep my innocence intact, which is probably how I have been made. So I put a little bit of my innocence into all my characters. And then I try to make them engaging, so that people find them relatable but also have fun while watching them,” he shared.
He further added, “I also think in life, no one is black-and-white and everyone is grey. I look for the good in even the worst person. I think no one in this world is a villain. So in my characters also, I try to find the good in them. For example in Ludo, my character Don is a gangster, but he beats up the doctor who is misbehaving with the nurses. He kills people, but then he also silently stands up for the nurses. That always motivates me, that there is goodness in every character. Or at least there is hope for goodness in every character.”
He also picked his favourite characters from his diverse range of critically acclaimed roles. “I think I like Atma Singh in Newton and Kehri Singh in Gurgaon and my character (Naved Ahmed Ansari) in the series called Powder. All of my characters are my favorite, but I had more fun playing them as they were more intense roles. I have a lot of fun with humorous roles too, I had fun being Kaleen Bhaiyya (from Mirzapur) as well. It is really hard to select a favorite from my own work.”
While the actor is open to everything, there is one kind of role he never wants to do, no matter who the director is. “I don’t want to play a role where there is brutality involved with kids and women. It will be very difficult for me to do a sequence where there is violence with them.”
While the actor is busy with multiple projects, he is very excited for a particular film. “I am excited for 83. It is a very different role. I am curious to see how the audience receives it,” he signed off.
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