PANKAJ TRIPATHI’S journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of India’s most sought-after actors is a remarkable story.
He began his acting career with small supporting roles, and later went on to carve a niche for himself with his wide-ranging performances in major films, and popular streaming shows such as Mirzapur and Criminal Justice.
Tripathi’s versatility is undeniable. His talent shines through in every role, be it comedic, dramatic, emotional or the darker characters he has portrayed. He captivates audiences worldwide with his gravitas.
Last year alone, Tripathi followed up hit sequels such as OMG 2 and Fukrey 3 with a lead role in the unpredictable thriller Kadak Singh.
This year, he took on the daunting task of portraying former Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Bollywood biopic Main Atal Hoon, currently streaming on ZEE5 Global. This challenging role further cemented his reputation as a versatile actor.
In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, Tripathi discussed his remarkable trajectory as an actor, pivotal moments, diverse characters and his biggest influences. The 47-year-old also spoke about how the streaming space made him a star, hopes of bringing the story of a forgotten freedom fighter to life, and his desire to take a break from his super busy work schedule.
You’ve been in films for 20 years now. Looking back, how has your journey been, from your uncredited role in Run (2004) to characters that have become part of pop culture?
It has been a persistent journey. From an uncredited role in Run to playing Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Main Atal Hoon (2024), it has been quite an inspiring journey. It again instils a feeling in my heart that if you work with honesty, you can achieve anything in life. There is still a long way to go.
I am learning and exploring new things. I am waiting to be a part of fresh stories. I also might be making some mistakes along the way, and hope my audience corrects me if I go wrong anywhere. Their feedback is always welcome. I’m open to any criticism to improve my work.
Tripathi in the movie Main Atal Hoon
You recently starred in Main Atal Hoon. Did you ever meet Atal Bihari Vajpayee in real life?
No, never. I just happened to see him from far during a political rally. His face was not clearly visible from where I stood, but I could listen to everything he said in his speech. He was my favourite politician, orator and poet.
Did you ever feel like giving up on your dreams when things were not working out for you initially?
No, I never thought of giving up. I would always tell myself, ‘Stay focused. If not today, things will definitely fall into their place tomorrow.’
See, I am a farmer’s son. I literally toiled in the field with my father for 15-16 years. So, I knew it very well that if you plant a seed in the soil, water it regularly, let it soak in enough sunlight, and maintain other favourable conditions, it will soon grow into a healthy sapling.
Similarly, I knew I would only grow and not die if I remained persistent. So, yeah, I never thought of giving up no matter how difficult things got.
What do you consider to be the turning point of your career?
There is no such turning point, I would say. I am like a river that originates from a mountain and decides its own course. My journey has been very organic. I don’t think that I have made my career.
I credit my success to all those wonderful characters and stories I have been a part of. I have just been doing my work with utmost honesty ever since I joined the industry.
But there must be a project that you think changed things for you overnight?
If you are talking about commercial success, then yes, it has to be Newton (2017).
I started getting more attention from the media after the film turned out to be a success and after I received the prestigious National Award (conferred by the Indian government) for it.
The audience is waiting for the third season of hit web serial Mirzapur. What should they expect from the new season and your character, Kaleen Bhaiya?
They should expect complete entertainment. The teaser is out and I can sense the excitement around the show. I hope the audience has not forgotten Kaleen Bhaiya.
I even say at the end of the teaser, “Bhoole toh nahi hain hamein?” (Hope you have not forgotten me) It is going to be an interesting watch.
Is it easier or harder to play a character you have already portrayed?
Technically speaking, it is easy because you have lived that character before.
You know its ins and outs. But, at the same time, there is a risk of mundanity, a risk of getting bored by playing the same character again and again.
As I said, you know the character in and out, so what’s new? But overall, it is easy to get into the skin of the same character again.
Do you believe the streaming space has contributed a lot to your popularity and recognition?
One hundred per cent. I give full credit to the streaming space for my popularity and recognition. Be it ZEE5 Global or other popular platforms I have worked with, they have catapulted me to stardom.
They put my face in the centre of hoardings you see all around. I wonder what I would have done had there been no OTT platforms (laughs). I seriously don’t know.
As an actor, do you feel streaming platforms offer more opportunities for diverse and inclusive storytelling compared to traditional media?
I feel that OTT platforms are more democratic in their approach. There is no lack of screens now.
If we have worked on an OTT project, it will surely see the light of day, no matter what. In addition to that, your work reaches a broader audience compared to traditional media outlets. If your film is released in just about 200 screens, how many people will see it? OTT space has no such restrictions. If your content is good, it travels the world.
How do you think easy access to content on streaming platforms has affected viewers?
Our audience has evolved a lot over the past few years. And, it is because of them that actors like me have attained whatever popularity or recognition that we have today. The audience has contributed immensely in making us who we are.
After playing Vajpayee, is there another historical figure you’d be interested in portraying?
Yes. If not a film, I would like to bring the story of Mahendra Misir to the audience through a play.
Tell us about him
Misir was a legendary man from Bihar. He was a freedom fighter and a great songwriter.
The British thought that he was involved in making fake currency and supplying it to other freedom fighters so that they could continue their revolution against the regime, so they arrested him and put him behind bars.
His was a very contradictory personality, to be honest. I want that his story be told to the audience in any form.
Pankaj Tripathi
Which actors have had an impact on your approach to acting?
There are many, right from Pankaj Kapur and Naseer Saab (Naseeruddin Shah) to the late Om Puri and Irrfan Khan. I recently saw Vikrant Massey’s work in 12th Fail (2023). It really inspired me. He was phenomenal. There are some books that have inspired me and contributed to my growth.
Could you name a few of them?
Currently, I am reading Renu Rachanawali by Phanishwar Nath Renu. I devote a good amount of time to literature.
What do you enjoy doing when you are not acting?
I will either be reading books, gardening, or cooking something in the kitchen. I have been quite busy over the past two years, so I hardly got time to indulge in these activities. But I am planning to take a break (from work) and devote some time to them.
Apart from acting, is there any other aspect of filmmaking that excites you?
I may end up exploring direction one day. I might also turn producer.
What are your five favourite films you can watch over and over again?
Teesri Kasam (1966), Guide (1965), Paan Singh Tomar (2012), Newton (2017) and Main Atal Hoon (2024).
What other projects do you have in the pipeline?
There are several projects that are lined up for release.
Apart from Mirzapur 3, there is a web-series called Gulkanda Tales. The fourth season of Criminal Justice is also up for streaming. In films, there is Metro…In Dino and Stree 2.
What advice would you give to aspiring actors?
Work on your craft, learn acting as much as you can, do theatre, and always know who you are. There is nothing you cannot achieve.
Main Atal Hoon is available to stream on ZEE5 Global.
The actor’s evolving style from youth to maturity getty images
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Bold and dramatic changes defining Aamir Khan’s careergetty images
From rugged to refined Aamir Khan’s versatile appearancesgetty images
Memorable film moments showcasing Aamir Khan’s unique stylegetty images
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A seated Jain enlightened teacherAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Ganesha from JavaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
A Chinese silk painting depicting the BuddhaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
ArdhanarishvaraAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Head of a grimacing yakshaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
NagaAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
The Bimaran casketAshmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Hunia Chawla
A still from rehearsal
Them performing liveNajmuddin Saifuddin Qawwal Group
The cast of Marriage Material in key moments from the play, including Avita Jay, Kiran Landa, Omar Malik, Irfan Shamji and Anoushka Deshmukh
Sathnam Sanghera’s 'Marriage Material' adapted into bold new play on conformity
The play Marriage Material at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre is Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti’s adaptation of Sathnam Sanghera’s novel of the same name, which first came out in 2013.
She is lucky to have Iqbal Khan direct Marriage Material. The play, a co-production with the Birmingham Rep, is set in the late 1960s. Mr and Mrs Bains (played by Jaz Singh Deol and Avita Jay) run a corner shop in Wolverhampton. Their younger daughter, Surinder (Anoushka Deshmukh), is 16, her sister Kamaljit (Kiran Landa) is just a bit older.
They have a neighbour, Patwant Dhanda (Irfan Shamji), who, as we shall soon see, is not a very pleasant man. In fact, he comes across just as racist as Enoch Powell, who represented Wolverhampton South West for the Tories from 1950 to 1974.
It will be recalled this was a time when Sikhs working on the buses were told they couldn’t wear a turban. That was a hard-fought battle that had to be won.
The Bains, meanwhile, simply want to get their girls married off.
Nothing new here, I thought.
What makes the tale different is that the plot twists and turns down the generations. Mr Dhanda, who has the makings of a paedophile, makes a pitch for one of the girls when Mr Bains dies early in the play. “A life with no man in the house is no life,” he informs the newly widowed Mrs Bains.
Mr Dhanda has a wife but she has returned to India so he considers himself to be a free man.
Surinder’s English teacher from school, Miss Flanagan (Celeste Dodwell), who is also head of the fifth form, tells Mrs Bains about her daughter: “I don’t want to embarrass you, but she is bright. Ridiculously bright.”
She adds: “Mrs Bains, I think it would be a pity if Surinder didn’t stay on at school.” The initial response from Mrs Bains is not encouraging: “Too much education makes people’s brains get mixed up, they don’t sleep at night…”
But she is finally persuaded that Surinder should be allowed to stay on for a while longer before being married off.
Mr Bains was very old school. When Surinder confides she would one day like to be “a somebody”, he is amused that “my daughter wants to be a somebody”.
“Like you,” she tells her father.
Mr Bains consoles his daughter: “We will find a somebody for you to marry.”
At the point of a possible marriage, however, Surinder is sweet-talked by chocolate salesman Jim Wilson (Tommy Belshaw) into running away with him. They share a love of literature, and he calls her “Sue Bains”. But the relationship does not end well.
Once she has left, Surinder is written off as “dead” by her family. The story that is circulated is that she was only 16 when she was killed in a car crash. That’s better than to let on that she ran off with a white man.
By the time she is reconciled with her sister towards the end of the play, a great deal has changed. Kamaljit married Tanvir Banga (Omar Malik), a young man who helped out in the Bains’ corner shop. When the two sisters meet again, Tanvir has also died. But he and Kamaljit had a son, Arjan Banga (Jaz Singh Deol doubles up for this role after the death of Mr Bains). He has come home after his father’s death to help his mother who is still running the family corner shop.
Meanwhile, Mr Dhanda’s business has prospered. He now has a son, Ranjit Dhanda (the role is taken by Omar Malik after Tanvir’s death), and he is nearly as unpleasant as his father.
Arjan has an English fiancée, Claire (Celeste Dodwell). In London, Arjan worked as a creative director. But after deciding to stay in Wolverhampton to help his mother, he decides he cannot marry Claire because she is white. In other words, Asians are not free of racism, either. Happily, at the end, the couple are reconciled.
As for Surinder, she parted company with Jim Wilson after realising he was all talk, depended on her for money and had failed to earn a penny from his literary pretensions. She had prospered, though, as a hotel owner and had been transformed in time into a well-groomed businesswoman. After being tracked down by Arjan, she decides to return to her roots in Wolverhampton and help Kamaljit run the family corner shop. Perhaps 50 years had passed during the passage of the play.
Being subjected to racism turned some Asians into racists themselves. The word goreh (white person) is repeatedly spat out with venom. Maybe it is worth remembering the play’s audience isn’t exclusively Asian – white folk are watching as well. And maybe some of the toilet humour ridiculing white people, which always makes me cringe, could be cut out.
In Sanghera’s novel, there is a quote from Enoch Powell’s speech in November 1968: “The West Indian or Asian does not, by being born in England, become an Englishman. In law he becomes a United Kingdom citizen by birth; in fact, he is a west Indian or an Asian still... he will by the very nature of things have lost one country without gaining another, lost one nationality without acquiring a new one. Time is running out against us and them. With the lapse of a generation or so we shall at last have succeeded – to the benefit of nobody – in reproducing ‘in England’s green and pleasant land’ the haunting tragedy of the US.”
In Marriage Material, where the acting is marvellous (apart from Mr Dhanda’s Indian mannerisms and accent being overdone) we do travel across a couple of generations.
There is a scene when Tanvir rejects Mr Dhanda’s vision of creating a little Punjab in Wolverhampton.
Mr Dhanda wants to take over the Bains’ corner shop and is putting pressure on Tanvir to sign the papers. He says: “In this country, money is the path to freedom.”
“Sign, please,” he instructs Tanvir. “We must make sure our children learn to behave nicely, according to our rules.”
He insists: “We maintain our identity so we can be ourselves.”
Tanvir disagrees: “We can be us here. With the goreh.”
Dhanda warns him: “Then we will be inviting chaos.”
Tanvir’s comment is telling: “You sound like Enoch.”
Kamaljit, who is expecting a baby with her husband Tanvir, says: “I would like my child to grow up knowing the history of the Gurus and to read the Granth Sahib. And to love their culture.”
Tanvir tells his wife: “I would like my child to go to the finest schools, to cheer for England in the World Cup and eat Yorkshire pudding on a Sunday.”
Kamaljit sets out a dream that has perhaps come to pass with many third and fourth generation British Asians: “Maybe our child can do both.” Much, much later, in a throwback to the past, we learn of Surinder’s O-level results: “Biology A, Chemistry A, English Language A, English Literature A, French A, History B, Latin A, Mathematics A, Physics A…”
Kamaljit tells her younger sister: “Never mind about the B.”
And that is quintessentially Asian. Their acting is outstanding.
Marriage Material is at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre until June 21, and at the Birmingham Rep from June 25-July 5