Pankaj Tripathi to receive Diversity in Cinema award at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Versatile Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi will be honoured with the Diversity in Cinema Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). IFFM has always celebrated diversity through cinema, and it comes as no surprise that this year, they have honoured Tripathi with the Diversity in Cinema Award.

This award is for artists who have left an indelible mark in the industry through their different roles, across all formats portraying incredible versatility with their variegated performances. Some of the previous recipients of this award are Frieda Pinto, Fawad Khan, Onir amongst others.

“I am truly honoured and equally humbled to receive this award and it makes me very happy that such a prestigious film festival has recognised my work,” says Tripathi. “My intent is to perform to the best of my capabilities, and I am so grateful that my performances are appreciated by the audience.”

Tripathi has also been nominated for the Best Performance (Male) in the film category for Anurag Basu’s Ludo (2020) and for the Best Performance (Male) in series for Mirzapur 2 (2020). His short film Laali (2020) has also made it to the festival this year.

Tripathi expresses his gratitude to streaming platforms for giving his work global recognition. “It is a very brilliant and humbling experience for me. I had never thought that an actor like me would reach over 250 countries, be it Australia, the US or UK. Now, we also get feedback through social media, like I just got a message from Italy about loving Mimi (2021),” he adds.

Talking about the honour, IFFM director Mitu Bhowmick Lange says, “With his acting prowess and unsurpassed talent, he makes every character riveting. IFFM has always stood for diversity through cinema and Pankaj Tripathi is an embodiment of the same. He plays diverse roles with such finesse making him perfect for this award.”