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Pankaj Tripathi: I am not tagged just as an OTT actor now
Actor Pankaj Tripathi talks about working across mediums, in both OTT and theatrical releases.
Actor Pankaj Tripathi, popular for playing the role of Kaleen Bhaiya in the web series Mirzapur, feels delighted to break free from the OTT actor stereotype post the pandemic. "During Covid, when cinemas were shut, my web series (Mirzapur) gained popularity. In fact, many of my films like Gunjan Saxena, Mimi, Ludo, and Kaagaz, were super successful on OTT, but they were made for theatres and we had no other option but to release it on streaming platforms, because of the lockdown. Toh vo OTT actor wala dimaag Mai agaya tha logon ke," the actor quips.
"If they were released in cinemas, then also they would have worked well. But I agree that I am present on OTT in majority. Whichever streaming platform you open, I am there, and that too, in the most watched content," the 46-year-old further adds.
The actor's assertion that he's not just an OTT actor, is backed by his upcoming projects, which transcend the digital medium. "I was seen in OMG2 recently, and will be seen in 'Fukrey 3' and 'Metro...In Dino,' so ab normal hogaya hai, I am not just tagged as an OTT actor now; vo image nahi hai ab," he declares.
Tripathi's approach to choosing projects is not based on the medium as he explains, "Mai soch kar balance nahi karta harr platform ke projects. I have so many franchises continuing, so I am just working on them. I go with the flow while choosing projects," says Tripathi, gearing up for his upcoming film franchises, Fukrey 3 and Stree 2.
Moreover, with the gradual return of normalcy and cinemas welcoming audiences once again, Tripathi believes that the films releasing now have the power to lure audiences back to the theaters. "Now, the films that are releasing have the ability to attract audiences to the theatres," he ends.
