Exclusive| After Playing Mirzapur's Kaleen Bhaiya, Pankaj Tripathi Says His Role in Parivarik ManuRanjan Can Shock Fans

Pankaj Tripathi, after delivering the hit character of Kaleen Bhaiya in Mirzapur: The Movie in September, is gearing up for his debut rom-com lead role in Parivarik ManuRanjan. For fans who last saw him as a dual-natured, uncrowned don, Pankaj feels his next cinematic offering will bring a shock value to theatregoers.

In an exclusive interview with Outlook, the actor opens up about whether he ever compared his characters to Kaleen Bhaiya from Mirzapur during the shoot of Varun V Sharma's directorial.

"Audiences will be stunned to see that Kaleen Bhaiya can do something as soft as this as well," Tripathi laughs.

He adds, "They will think, 'Yeh aadmi Kaleen Bhaiya kaise ban sakta hai'(How can this man become Kaleen Bhaiya)? Kaleen Bhaiya ko ignore karna mushkil hai and Ranjan Dubey ko notice karna mushkil hai (It is tough to ignore Kaleen Bhaiya but Ranjan Dubey is easily visible). I do not like to shout and scream even while playing negative characters. I have a way of doing it, but this character will be life-related."

Parivarik ManuRanjan, is Pankaj's first-ever collaboration with actor Aditi Rao Hydari. When asked about how his character in the movie is different from the other roles he played, Tripathi says, "When you watch the film, you will feel that you know such people. It is a slice-of-life, relatable character. Relatability is high with this character. Ranjan Dubey is a simple man with no complexities. He is happy in his life, and something happens, and then you have to see it with your family."

Highlighting why his character can be relatable to Indian families, Tripathi says, "The way I think of women, Ranjan Dubey also thinks that way. Ranjan also has a similar approach. My family watched the movie at home with my wife and daughter, and they were shocked. They felt as if they were not in the cinema but at home. I like to wear a gamcha (cotton towel) and sando ganji (sleeveless vest) at home. That is how I am even at home. I don't wear fancy nightwear, like a night robe."

Education in acting helps Pankaj

While he is known to take on interesting characters for himself on screen, he credits his study of cinema when it comes to picking diverse roles.

"I have done training in acting. I study literature, stories, so I know if a similar role is one, why do another one? I myself will be bored. First, I will be bored. I find things that make me interested", Tripathi signs off.