Pankaj Tripathi says more trust from audience means more responsibility on the actor

In the last few years, Pankaj Tripathi has emerged as a talent to vouch for in Bollywood and the actor says though stardom does not make him delusional, he is aware of his increased responsibilities. The actor has been around in the industry for nearly 15 years, but gained prominence by, first, featuring in the Gangs of Wasseypur series and subsequently in films like Masaan, Nil Battey Sannata, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Newton and Stree among others.

Tripathi says he often gets to hear he has become a star but he does not dwell on it. “I feel humble, I feel a lot of gratitude but I move on to do my work. I know fame is an illusion. It doesn’t matter if you’re a star or not, what is important is that you do your job with absolute honesty,” the actor told PTI.

For the 42-year-old actor, more than the tag of a star, it is the responsibility that matters. “The more the audience and the society trusts an actor, the more the responsibility increases for the actor. Right now, I’m more aware about the kind of work I want to do because the expectations are more. I am aware about that,” he added.

Tripathi has recently featured in Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon-starrer Luka Chuppi. While the actor was initially offered a bigger role in the rom-com, he chose a character which had less screen time as he says it had “more scope to play with”.

Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rasika Dugal, Pankaj Tripathi, Sheeba Chadha and Shweta Tripathi of Mirzapur. (PTI)

“The best phase for an actor is when he or she gets to choose what they want to play. Sometimes you do a film because the unit is good, the company is fantastic and the intention is well placed.” Luka Chuppi joins the list of recent Hindi films which have been set in the small towns of India. Critics have noted that the once novel backdrop has become a movie template.

Tripathi, who has featured in several films in the same space, views the debate in a different light. “For a long time the small town was ignored in Hindi cinema. Now that its time has come, let it stay. But it all depends on the story. The landscape a story is set in should be authentic. The key is how you present a small town story.” For this, the actor feels, it boils down to how well written a script is.

“Every story has a certain landscape and it is the director’s gaze which makes it come alive in a different way. The visual of a small town will be more or less the same but it’s all about the writing. The magic lies there.” Tripathi will next reprise his role in the season two of Netflix’s India original series Sacred Games. Super 30 and 83 are among his cinematic outings.

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