A 12-year wait before he was finally acknowledged by the Indian film audience didn’t deter Pankaj Tripathi from doing what he does best. The actor who has been given a special mention in the 65th National Awards for his role in Newton, is certainly in the league of performers who have set the standards high for character actors. From playing Aatma Singh, an Army officer in Newton, to portraying the role of Narottam Mishra, Bitti’s father who shares a smoke with his daughter in Bareilly ki Barfi, Pankaj has delivered unforgettable characters.
While many might whine about the long wait, Pankaj looks at it differently. “Main kisaan parivaar se aaya hoona yaar... Toh mujhe pata hai. Hum jo beej daalte hain dharti mein... niklega woh, marne ke liye nahin hai woh. Daba hua hai ankurit hone ke liye (I belong to a farmer's family so I understand that the seeds we sow will grow one day. They are not going to die, it will take time but these will sprout and grow). Hum usi note mein jeevan ko le jaate hain, mere liye aat ghanta sona aur biwi bachche ke saath ghoomna acting se zyada important hai (I live my life on this simple note. Getting to sleep for eight hours and spending time with my family is more important to me than acting)," explains the actor.
Going south
Pankaj, who is currently shooting for the horror comedy Stree, with Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor in Bhopal, will also be seen in the upcoming Tamil film Kaala starring Rajnikanth. The actor who plays a cop in Kaala candidly admits, “I wanted to meet Rajni Sir, and see him from close quarters. With that intention I had agreed for the film and my wish was fulfilled. I spoke to him about cinema and filmmaking and that is what I had wished for!”
What makes the roles he plays so unforgettable is the fact that Pankaj tries to add a touch of reality to each one of them. Whether it’s a positive role, or a negative role, he makes the character relatable. Even when he played the role of the cynical Army officer, Aatma Singh, in Newton, there was a layer of humanness that was evident in the climax scene when the officer is shopping with his family at a grocery store. When Aatma's wife returns a bottle of olive oil because it is expensive and they can't afford it, he picks it up and gets it billed. It is these subtle details in his characters which make a significant impact. “I always approach my characters with a human perspective. I try and seek humanity and if that’s lacking, I try to imbibe it because I strongly believe that no matter how bad a person is, there is always some goodness in him,” he explains.
Newton backstory
Further talking about Newton, Pankaj reveals that the team wasn’t really confident that audience would come and watch a film about elections in India. “Humein pata tha ki bahut dry subject hai, aur kaun dekhega koi film chunaav-elections par? Kaise bhi kar humare characters mein bhi hum humour dhoondte aur writing mein bhi humour tha (We knew this was a dry subject and we wondered who will come and watch a film about elections. Somehow we would find humour in our characters… and there was humour in the writing as well). Agar dhyaan ki batein interesting way mein karoge toh log sun bhi lenge aur aapka maqsad bhi solve ho jayega (But if you tell such stories in an interesting way, people will listen and you will achieve your purpose as well). Mera role pehle bahut zyada cynical tha script mein, maine usko thoda zyada humorous banaya. Main Newton se utna relate nahin karta jitna Aatma Singh se relate karta hoon. Ideal utna bhi nahin hota hai insaan. Kyunki real life mein aapko Aatma Singh jaise har doosra sarkari karamchari milega, Newton jaisa nahin milega (My character – Aatma Singh was extremely cynical in the script, I added a touch of humour. I wasn’t able to relate to Newton. I don’t think anyone can be so idealistic. In real life, you will find government officers like Aatma Singh but there is nobody like Newton)."
Sufi at heart
The other recent film that has made Pankaj a star among young girls, is Bareilly ki Barfi. Pankaj’s role as Bitty’s father, Narottam Mishra is in complete contrast to real life fathers from small towns. Now that he is famous, Pankaj gets recognised wherever he goes. His role as the ‘cool’ father has certainly made him a star, particularly in small cities. “When I meet fans (particularly girls) in towns like Bhopal, Patna and Allahabad, some say their fathers are like my character and a few others say they want their fathers to be like him.”
When asked if he is affected by the new-found fame and glamour, Pankaj offers, “Main Sufi aadmi hoon, mujhe pata hai ki jo shohrath aaj hai, kal nahin rahegi. I don’t wear dark glasses and I don’t drive a car with tinted glasses. Aaj koi selfie kheechta hai mere saath, woh kal wapas nahin khichayega. Mera man maanta hai ki asafaltaon se pareshan math ho aur safaltaon mein beh math jao, ghamandi math ban jao. Sab ithya hai, raat ko sone ke liye aapko shaanti hi chahiye. Toh mujhe pata hai chamak dhamak ki duniya ka lamba prahaav nahin hai. Asal prahaav hai sukoon se sone mein, Sufi gaane sunne mein aur yatra karne mein (I am a Sufi at heart. I know that fame won’t last. People who take selfies with me now, they won’t take a selfie tomorrow. I believe that one must not be disheartened with failures. But when one is successful, the success shouldn't get to one's head. All this success and glamour are not for long term. The only thing that lasts is peace of mind. You need peace to sleep at night. I seek peace by listening to Sufi songs and by travelling)."
Global appeal
Another recent film that Pankaj was recognized for is Mango Dreams which released on Netflix in March this year. He won the Best Actor Award at the Capetown International Film Market and Festival. But now even though people reach out to him for work, Pankaj hasn't forgotten his days of struggle when he would go from one production house to the other auditioning for various roles. "Jeevan mein aat saal tak tha lagataar, 2004 se 2012 tak main dar dar jaata tha kaam maangne ke liye. Hum struggle karte the, office to office jaate, bolte hum actor hain. Kai jagah log poochte the - ye do line bol paaoge? Main bolta, haan bolpayenge. Aap try kijiye main boloonga, aat saal toh wahi chal raha tha (For eight years in my life between 2004 to 2012 I was struggling. I would go from one office to the other. People would ask will you be able to say two lines? I would say, why not? You give me a chance, I will surely try. For eight years this is what was happening)," says Pankaj. Today, with a special mention in the 65th National Awards and being cast in a Netflix movie, the actor has certainly changed his destiny with his perseverance. Pankaj will next be seen in Mirzapur that releases later this year on Amazon Prime.
ayeshatabassum@newindianexpress.com
@aishatax