Pankaj Tripathi reveals 14-year career struggle

Pankaj Tripathi, who is shooting in a small town of Uttar Pradesh that it took him more than a decade to make his own identity in the film industry.

Kaagaz is based on the real life story of a farmer named Bharat Lal also known as Lal Bihari from a small town in Bihar. It took him 18 years of legal battle to establish his identity and to acquire his land and property legally.

“After reading the first draft of the script, without hesitation I agreed to step into the shoes of Bharat Lal. While reading the script I could easily relate the trauma and hardships Bharat Lal could have gone through for 18 years. Like Bharat Lal, I too struggled for 14 years to make my own identity in Bollywood,” Tripathi said in a statement.

Coming from a background of farmers in Patna, Tripathi understands the importance of land for a farmer. “Before trying my hand at acting, I used to cultivate my own land with my father. After passing out of the National School of Drama, I spent many years doing small time roles in Bollywood.

“It took 14 years to shape my destiny, in this whole process I never lost hope and kept on struggling untilI carved out my own path in this industr,” he added.

Kaagaz is directed by Satish Kaushik. Other details related to the film are still under wraps.