'Woh hum sabke dilon mein hain': Pankaj Tripathi says comparisons with Irrfan should not be made in Metro In Dino

Pankaj Tripathi addressed comparisons with Irrfan Khan, emphasising that such comparisons are inappropriate.

More than 15 years after Life in a... Metro captured the complexities of urban life and relationships, its spiritual sequel Metro... In Dino hit the screens on July 5. While the original featured a beloved pairing of Irrfan Khan and Konkona Sen Sharma, the new film sees Konkona opposite Pankaj Tripathi. As audiences drew parallels between Irrfan’s effortless charm and Pankaj’s performance, the actor has now addressed the comparisons in a recent interview with Zoom.

Pankaj Tripathi reacts to comparison with Irrfan Khan.

Pankaj Tripathi on comparison with Irrfan Khan

Pankaj said that any comparison between him and Irrfan was inappropriate, stating: “Yeh comparison bilkul nahi hona chahiye. Woh mere senior the aur main unka fan rahunga. Mere drama school ke senior the woh. Hum ek hi acting institute se seekhe hain. Main khud unke craft ko dekh ke seekhta tha. Woh Irrfan sir hain, unki jagah hum sabke dilon mein hai. (Such comparisons should never be made. He was my senior and I will always be his fan. We studied at the same drama school. I learnt so much just by watching his craft. He is Irrfan sir, and he will always have a place in our hearts)."

Irrfan delivered a memorable and heartwarming performance in Anurag Basu’s 2007 ensemble drama Life in a... Metro, portraying Monty, a straightforward and slightly awkward man searching for love through matrimonial websites. He brought humour, vulnerability, and charm to a character that stood out amid the film’s web of urban relationships. His chemistry with Konkona Sen Sharma was especially appreciated by fans.

For the unversed, Pankaj's character in Metro...In Dino is also named Monty. It was Konkana who ensured to include a tribute to Irrfan's Life In A Metro character in the film. Director Anurag Basu tells HT, "The character was not called Monty. It was Coco's (Konkona) suggestion. 'Let's call him Monty,' she said, and I said, 'Yes, right'. It was on the first day of the shoot." Konkona revealed that she made the suggestion "because it is such a goofy kind of character" and quite similar to Irrfan's character from the 2007 original.

About Metro... In Dino

The musical romantic drama is written and directed by Anurag Basu and produced by T-Series Films and Anurag Basu Productions. The film weaves together several heartfelt stories of contemporary couples and features an ensemble cast, including Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, Konkona Sen Sharma, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, and Fatima Sana Shaikh. It received a positive response from critics, and had a promising start at the box office, earning ₹3.5 crore in India.