Pankaj Tripathi embraces a simple lifestyle, says, ‘I enjoy my life like that’

Bollywood's acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi, a recipient of numerous accolades including a National Award, insists he doesn't live the life of a celebrity. He identifies as a humble, middle-class individual and cherishes his life as such.

"You have seen how I am in my personal life. I am a simple, ordinary middle-class person. My work may not look like that but my way of living is actually that… I am a middle-class person and I enjoy my life like that," Pankaj shared with a media source while discussing his off-screen life.

Graduating from the National School of Drama in 2004, Pankaj first garnered attention in 2012 with Anurag Kashyap's Gangs of Wasseypur. He has since starred in successful films like the Fukrey series, Masaan, Nil Battey Sannata, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Mimi, Stree, Ludo, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, and the Hollywood film Extraction alongside Chris Hemsworth.

He rose to immense fame with web series such as Sacred Games, Mirzapur, and Criminal Justice. Looking ahead, he is set to feature in upcoming releases like Stree 2 and Metro...In Dino.

Pankaj believes overexposure could lead to audience fatigue, and he might get bored too. “I prefer that after promotions are done and I am out. I love staying in my space," he says.

The actor, who hails from Gopalganj district, Bihar further added, "I have lessened my work so I can balance life better now. I am home right now. Till the time my wife doesn’t get troubled, I will stay home only… Right now I am doing less(er) work. Earlier I used to work more and it was hectic… I will (continue to) do less work for some time."

Affectionately known as Kaleen Bhaiya from Mirzapur, Pankaj humorously admits he's the "least informed" about his own projects. "I work and come home. When the editing is locked for the film or not, they call and say they need a date for some shoot, so I say 'okay'," he quips.

Despite limited screen time in Mirzapur 3, fans and critics missed his portrayal of Kaleen Bhaiya. Pankaj believes the character's uniqueness and unpredictability contribute to his appeal. "He is a new type of don. Not a traditional don. He is a soft-spoken and graceful person but his work is strange. He is unpredictable. There was a certain kind of humour in him, which this season did not have because he is in low life." he explains .

He adds, "There is some likeability in him, which I tried making because in writing he was just a villain but while performing it took that shape and that is the uniqueness of the character,"