Doing the work always wanted to do: Pankaj Tripathi on National Award win, two decades in showbiz

New Delhi, Oct 18: Twenty years and two National Awards later, popular actor Pankaj Tripathi says he is happy to be working in films that narrate stories he always wanted to be associated with.
It’s a happy coincidence that Tripathi received the best supporting actor National Award for “Mimi”, a day after he completed 20 years in Mumbai.
“I am happy and humbled. I feel anything is possible if you persevere and do your work with honesty. I completed 20 years in Mumbai yesterday. This is my second honour at the National Awards. I’m grateful to all the viewers, all my directors, Laxman Utekar (director of ‘Mimi’), and the jury for choosing me.
“To the audience members who have given me so much love. At the awards ceremony, people came up to me and said my win feels like a personal achievement to them. It feels great since I have also come from the masses,” the 47-year-old actor told PTI in an interview here.
Tripathi, known for films “Gangs of Wasseypur”, “Masaan”, “Stree” and web series “Mirzapur” and “Criminal Justice”, started his career with an uncredited role in the 2003 Kannada film “Chigurida Kanasu”.
Today, the Bihar-born actor is known by several of his character names: be it Rudra bhaiya from horror comedy “Stree” or Kaleen Bhaiya from crime drama series “Mirzapur”. He will next be seen playing the role of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in “Main Atal Hoon”.
Asked how he envisions the future, Tripathi, who received a National Award – Special Mention for 2017’s “Newton”, said, “The next 20 years also look promising.”
“The kind of stories I wanted to do and the kind of filmmakers I wanted to work with, that’s happening now. (For example) I’ve seen the rough cuts of two of my upcoming films ‘Kadak Singh’ and Atal ji’s biopic…” he added.
The actor, who was accompanied by his wife Mridula and daughter Aashi, said he has finally managed to achieve some work-life balance.
“It wasn’t like that before. I used to work a lot, I was in a lot of rush. During my days of struggle, I used to come back home late at night as I was constantly on the move in search of work. My daughter would be asleep. I didn’t even get a weekly off, not even a Sunday.
“Now, there is some discipline in my life. I take weekly offs, I spend time with family as much as possible. I also feel good about it. Earlier, I wouldn’t even have time for myself. Now, I practice yoga or go jogging, walking for an hour or so,” he shared.
Tripathi also talked about his latest releases “OMG 2” and “Fukrey 3”, which has earned over Rs 100 crore at the box office. (PTI)