After he got Gangs of Wasseypur in 2012, everything changed for Pankaj Tripathi. Today, he ranks among the finest actors in Hindi cinema, chooses films on his own terms, and is lauded by top directors for his dialogue delivery and performative range. He speaks to Rishita Roy Chowdhury.
Q. You’ve established yourself as an actor of some prominence in the Hindi film industry entirely on your own. How do you look back on your journey?
A. My journey has been like that of a pahaadi nadi[mountain river]. As the ice melts, the river continues to search for a way to keep flowing. It makes space for itself. Then eventually, it takes the true form of a river, like the Ganga or Brahmaputra. I am someone who comes from a small village, someone who started wandering long ago. It took me 15-20 years to get here. I grabbed whatever opportunity came my way. I have done projects where I had one or two scenes only. I have been in films where I did not even have a single line. So I relate to the mountain river. Mai bhi raasto aur dhalaano pe mudte mudte ab nadi ka swaroop le raha hun [From the struggles of a stream, I am now attaining the composure of a river].
Challenges have been many. I come from a non-film background. Mine is a family of farmers. Also, I was a Hindi-medium student. So having such an ordinary background added to the hardships. I feel the critical acclaim people now bestow on me is the outcome of these 20-odd years of struggle.
Q. How did you choose to become an actor?
A. One day, I just went to Patna and started watching theatre. And from watching plays regularly, I went on to participating in them as well. Initially, it just started out as a hobby. I used to be a very sincere audience member. For two years, I watched all the theatre and cultural shows in Patna. Then the thought hit me that I should do theatre, and I started doing it. This was back in college. I began to enjoy theatre and then I thought, if I could turn this into a profession, there would be nothing better than that. I got the support of my family. Even though my father is a farmer, he never stopped me from pursuing acting.
Q. So it was the stage that introduced you to the craft of acting. What role has theatre played in your career?
A. Theatre hasn’t only played a role in my career and my understanding of the craft; it has played a big role in making me a better person. Theatre is actually a factory that produces good individuals. It makes you rational and sensitive. It contributes to your philosophical knowledge. It helps to further develop your senses—what you see and hear, how you approach your surroundings. You become aware of your environment and of your actions. So theatre has not only made me an actor; it has taught me what it means to be human.
Q. On what basis do you choose or reject a role you’re offered?
A. Initially, there were no criteria. Now I consider who the storyteller is, what the story is and how it is being told. It matters to me whether the story has an undercurrent of social awareness or delivers a social message. I pay attention to that. For me, cinema is not only a medium of entertainment; it should ideally highlight a topic that is socially relevant. I believe cinema is a very influential and powerful medium, and shouldn’t only be used for entertainment. It should address something.
Q. Mainstream cinema is making room for content-driven films and for genuinely talented actors much like yourself. How do you view this change?
A. Yes, there has been a significant change and it’s a good thing. The Hindi film industry is moving in a good direction, due to which various filmmakers and actors are getting to tell unique stories. There was a time when a lot of such [substantive] projects remained at a distance from mainstream cinema. But now there are new storytellers who are growing because of this change. The audiences have changed, too, because of exposure to foreign films and digital content. They understand good content. All this has contributed to the changing perspective of Indian filmmakers.
Q. To what extent have non-commercial and independent films spearheaded this change?
A. The Hindi film industry is changing because of the collective effort put in by a lot of filmmakers. There are many such filmmakers who make independent films and when those films work, it creates hope. Newtoncan be considered an indie film, but it performed commercially as well. So there is a positive change. We are gaining confidence because of this. Now, mainstream cinema is opening up to such stories. Take Stree as an example: no one expected the movie to do so well. We knew the film wouldn’t fail, but at the same time, we didn’t think it would get such a massive response and box-office collection.
Q. How have you managed to establish yourself across mediums, from theatre and cinema, to television and web series?
A. It has been very rewarding. These days, directors have confidence in me and leave things up to me, as I like to improvise. They give me room to think and give me the go-ahead to do things as I like. I guess they believe in me. They have faith that I won’t do anything wrong or out of context. To me, every medium is interesting. There is no real difference when it comes to acting. But I think because of the live audience in theatre, it is the most difficult and the most satisfactory medium for any actor. The only drawback is that there is no money in that. That’s why I have to do movies. If theatre provided that kind of financial stability, I would have stuck to that.
Q. How did your breakthrough movie, Gangs of Wasseypur(2012), happen? And in what way did it impact your career?
A. I had to give a series of tests and auditions to get selected for my role in the film and it worked out. I never expected such a huge response to the film. I didn’t even realise that it had become big. Actually, when we make a film, we don’t think about where it would go, to what levels it would reach. At that point, we just focus on making a good film. After the process is complete, each film has its own destiny. During the making, we just aim to do justice to the script by performing 2-4 notches above our capacity in order to create a good film.
Before Gangs of Wasseypur, I used to go out in search for work every day. I used to leave the house by ten in the morning and go to various film studios. I used to visit every place where I’d heard a film was being made.
Q. You have played several negative roles in your career, and now again in Mirzapur, we see you as the villain. Do you enjoy playing grey characters?
A. Of course, I do. I believe that no one is black or white. Only grey characters are real. They are more truthful. No one is completely good or bad, and playing such characters is a way of being honest with the audience.
Q. You recently did a Tamil film, Kaala, with Rajnikanth, and also a Punjabi film, Harjeeta. Is it difficult to do regional films?
A. It is quite difficult, because of the language barrier. It’s out of one’s comfort zone. Nevertheless, doing such a film is always a great experience. As an actor, you get to learn a lot.
Q. You are also part of Netflix’s runaway hit, Sacred Games. How do you think the emergence of online streaming is impacting filmmakers and actors?
A. The best thing is that this content is not censored. And its reach is increasing in our country. If it’s a show on the web, there’s a certain kind of freedom for the filmmakers and storytellers. It’s a good development as it has pulled focus towards the content. It maybe easy for the audiences to connect to something online, but it is as simple to get disconnected, to switch off. So we have to constantly deliver the best. They’ll stop watching otherwise. There’s renewed emphasis on performance. We have to engage the audiences. The digital medium has changed the game.
Q. Tell us about the upcoming season of Sacred Gamesand your role in it?
A. I play a really interesting character in the series and you will get to know more about it in the coming season. Right now I am not at liberty to discuss this. All I can say is that we are delighted with the response. Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane are among the best in the business. One gets to learn a lot from them and they have come up with a great show.
Q. What are you working on next?
A. Mirzapur and Drivewill release soon. Then, there is Abhi Toh Party Shuru Hui Hai, which is a political satire. Super 30 will follow. Then I am doing Luka Chuppi. So there are 5-6 films in the pipeline.