‘I’m not against small roles, but progression is the way of life’
He does not let success get to his head, or allow failures to bother him. That’s Pankaj Tripathi for you. He began his career by playing very small parts in films, but over the years, Pankaj has proved his acting prowess, and is now considered one of the finest actors in Indian cinema. But, he has not forgotten his struggling days. He is also quick to declare that now, he is particular about the kind of work he would say yes to. “Having been in this field for quite some time, now I know the kind of work that I would like to associate myself with. I know that I won’t play the role of a personal assistant like I did in a Chillar Party (2011). These days, I am very particular when it comes to choosing a film. I have nothing against smaller roles; they made me what I am today. But, progression is the way of life,” says Pankaj, who is known for his performances in films such as Newton (2017) and Stree (2018), among others.
In between, there was a phase, when Pankaj was rejecting offers because most of them were “repetitions” or the characters weren’t “substantial”. “Now, people also know what they can expect from me, and so they approach me with good parts. I have even started telling people that I want to read the script first, and at times I request them if I can play a character of my choice in the story,” says the actor.
Asked if at any point, he feels that things would have been better if he got such opportunities, which he is getting now, at the beginning of his career, Pankaj takes a pause before saying, “Shayad tab mein achha kaam na kar pata. Dekhiye jab maturity hoti hain tabhi aata hai sab kuch. May be this struggle was necessary. When I watch my earlier works, I [can] see how badly I performed… so, I think every part of my journey was important.”
And what about money? Has all the success helped him earn better remuneration? “Yes,” says Pankaj, adding, “Besides the love, that’s [money] the other good thing that has happened. Log bolte hain ki main star ban gaya hoon. Main bolta hoon ki nahi ji woh duniya ki nazron mein hoga, apni nazron mein main jo pehle tha, wahi hoon. I want to stay rooted forever,” he signs off.