Pankaj Tripathi: I Want Simplicity, Not Only In My Life But Also My Characters

Pankaj Tripathi is all set to reprise his role as Madhav Mishra in the most-awaited Rohan Sippy directorial, ‘Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach’, which is the third season of the popular show. It also stars Shweta Basu Prasad, Swastika Mukherjee, Purab Kohli, Aditya Gupta, Deshna Dugad and Gaurav Gera. This time, Madhav Mishra has a twisted case at hand, the death of a popular child star Zara Ahuja, and ‘Criminal Justice 3’ deals with juvenile justice. 

Speaking to Outlook India, Tripathi talked about his role in the upcoming season and quips, “Mithaas wahi hai but ehsaas naya hai,” adding that Madhav Mishra’s wit and sarcasm will remain the same.

Well, Tripathi has played an array of characters, from the vicious Kaleen bhaiya in ‘Mirzapur’ to Guruji in ‘Sacred Games’ to more positive roles ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’, ‘Kaagaz’, ‘’83’ and now ‘Criminal Justice 3’. 

He credits the writers for the same and tells us, “Actors are like travellers, the writer carves the path and the director guides. If there are two different characters, of course, performing them is also different. However, the base of them both is writing. It is writing that makes these two worlds different and my job as an actor is only to deliver that with my experience.”

Albeit, one thing common with all of Tripathi’s roles is his simplicity, which makes the audience feel at ease, not only on screen but also in his conversations. 

When asked if that simplicity has helped him become a better actor too, he asserts, “I want that simplicity in not only my life but also my characters. I was talking to someone recently about how patience and calm behaviour has been deeply ingrained in Indian culture since ancient times. So, it doesn’t matter to me how I look for a part or if I have six pack abs, my focus remains on how relatable my character can be that when anybody sees me on screen, they feel they know a person like this, all this while maintaining a certain uniqueness about it.”

Nonetheless, Tripathi is now a bonafide star. After bagging multiple awards for his performances including a National Award, IIFA and others, it would not be wrong to say that he’s actually the king of OTT content because the medium made him reach the zenith of popularity. 

Ask him if he enjoys the OTT medium and feels if cinema viewing has changed amid the boycott calls of Bollywood films, Tripathi says, “I think nobody can change the idea of cinema in theatres. OTT has a far wider reach and there is no major worry for numbers, like screen or show count. There is no pressure of opening the box office as well. Mouth publicity is a major factor. OTT, on the other hand, has that democratic nature.”

He signs off, “As for the boycott trend, I don’t think it will impact a film’s overall business. If the audience doesn’t like a film, they will automatically boycott it.”

Produced by Applause Entertainment in association with BBC Studios, ‘Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach’ will stream on Disney+ Hotstar from August 26, 2022.