Being humble: Actor Pankaj Tripathi says he never felt that he had arrived

Acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi said he never felt that he had ‘arrived’ in the industry. Pankaj made his acting debut in 2004. He was later seen in films such as Apharan, Bunty Aur Babli, Omkara, Raavan, Chillar Party and Agneepath, to name a few.

However, it was in 2012 that he gained prominence for his acting prowess in Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1, after which there was no looking back for him.

Now that he has been in the industry for almost two decades, did he feel he had finally arrived? Pankaj said: “I never felt that I have arrived. I do my work with all my honesty. So, I don’t know when I came. I work with the same sincerity and hard work in every project.”

The actor, who is from the Gopalganj district of Bihar, has often stood out with his performances and has given memorable characters such as Kaleen Bhaiya, Madhav Mishra, Bhanu and Pandit. In his latest film Kadak Singh, he plays a man suffering from retrograde amnesia.

“Such roles come to me naturally. I don’t do anything. I am fortunate that I get such good scripts,” added the two-time National Film Award-winner.

He went on: “It’s a conscious decision. I feel cinema is not only for entertainment. It is more than entertainment. Cinema has its social responsibility. I maintain a balance of commercial, independent and sensible cinema.”

So, how did he play each role with so much conviction?

“Everyone has their own method. So I won’t say it is missing in others. My method is this, others have different procedures. I do according to my upbringing and training,” said the actor, who graduated from National School of Drama in 2004. Kadak Singh is streaming on ZEE5.