By: Melvin Samuel
One of the finest actors working in the Hindi film industry today is Pankaj Tripathi. From featuring in a blink-and-miss role in ‘Run’ (2004) to headlining mainstream projects like ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Ludo’, ‘Kaagaz’ and ‘Criminal Justice’, the 47-year-old, who hails from a village in India’s northeastern state of Bihar, has come a long way.
In a tete-a-tete with ANI during the 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Pankaj got candid about his journey so far and how he reached the pinnacle of his career with no godfather in the industry. “I come from a very simple family. I belong to a village where we even struggled to get the basic facility of electricity but we were happy. I was living far from the world of acting and now my entire life is all about acting. My love for cinema developed organically. I used to watch plays in my hometown .. that’s when I actually developed a major interest in theatre and then I moved to Delhi and joined the National School Of Drama (NSD). After a few years, I went to the city of dreams Mumbai and since then I have been learning the craft of cinema and trying my best to showcase my skills via my acting on screen. This journey is beyond any dream I saw,” Pankaj said.
He feels it’s his roots that helped him carve a niche in the film industry.
“One should never forget his/her roots. If you forget your roots then it becomes difficult to survive. Be it a person or a story or a plant, everything in this world is rooted. Whatever I am today is all because of my roots,” Pankaj emphasised.
As today many young aspiring actors look up to Pankaj as their role model, he shared a golden piece of advice for all.
“One should never get into this profession only for money and fame. First, understand why you want to come here ( in the film industry).. understand your love and your needs. Kaam dil se karoge paisa zarur miljaega life me (Money will eventually come to you at one point),” he added, recalling his first paycheck.
“I still remember my first paycheck was of Rs 1700 for a brief TV stint,” he shared.
Over fifteen years into his film industry career, with a repertoire full of path-breaking roles, Pankaj, undoubtedly, set a benchmark in Hindi cinema.
(ANI)
