New Delhi: An actor who is defined as a masterclass when it comes to his craft, Pankaj Tripathi endears with his humility. Not one to be swayed by the accolades or the awards, he has won the National award twice in five years, he recalls the time when he got blink-and-you-miss parts, which were often even not credited to helming projects. “It’s quite an interesting journey, and proves that things happen when they have to”, says Pankaj Tripathi. However he is not taken with the aura of stardom that now precedes his name.” I will never let the star ever overtake the actor in me. Yes, it’s easy to get corrupted in showbiz, though am not made that way, but that’s something I am very conscious about”.
The actor is all set to recreate the life and times of late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in his latest,” Main Atal Hoon”. The leader was celebrated for his liberal outlook and meant different things to different people. He was the Prime Minister, a poet and a statesman, so which aspect of his personality did he resonate the most with.” First the poet, then statesman and then leader. But, his overall journey was fascinating”.
He further adds that he found similarities between his beginnings and that of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.” We both come from similar worlds, a simple home and very humble beginnings. He took to politics and I went towards acting. But I have witnessed the life he lived. was struck by his democratic values, which I learned during my research. He had such grace even when he took on his opponents. He was an incredible parliamentarian, and his political journey is a case in point.”
Though he keeps his politics to himself, Pankaj Tripathi was an activist and member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during his college days. “Everyone is a politician in Bihar”, he jokes. Saying he gave up pursuing politics when he was arrested, and that was the time he had devoted extensively to reading and acting. That was the end of my love affair with politics.
What strikes one is his sense of humour. He says he never carries work home, but with this film it was different. “Due to the prosthetics my phone face identity kept failing”, he says with a laugh.
“Main Atal Hoon” is a theatrical release and the producers are confident to draw in the crowds. What does he make of the current obsession with box office numbers?
“Quantity and quality cannot be compared, yes maybe from the business point of view. We live in a capitalist society, where only capital and return to investment will be discussed, and people will be swayed by it, and it does increase the credibility of the maker and the star. Everyone has their perspective, but the real star today is the audience they have the power to change the narrative.”
So which is the one actor whose craft he admires the most?
He responds with heartfelt emotion,” Its Irrfan Khan Saab, his work has inspired and influenced me deeply.”
