Birthday special: 5 times Pankaj Tripathi absolutely nailed his roles
Pankaj Tripathi is often lauded for his exceptional acting chops. Whether it's essaying the role of a hardened criminal or playing a supporting role, Tripathi aces them all, and he does so with his signature calm demeanor. Making his debut in 2004, he shot to fame over time with his slate of diverse roles. On his birthday, we revisit five of his popular roles.
'Mirzapur'
Although Tripathi was already an acclaimed actor before he signed the series Mirzapur, playing a character like Kaleen bhaiya definitely made him grab eyeballs. In an interview, Tripathi once talked about his other characters and said, "People really loved them, but the popularity Kaleen bhaiya gave me [as] an actor—People know me as Kaleen bhaiya." Rightly so, Tripathi established himself as a Mirzapur staple.
'Ludo'
Based on the eponymous board game, Ludo (2020) was written and directed by Anurag Basu. The film cleverly meddles with the lives of the lead characters, who are all up to no good. However, chaos ensues when their paths cross, creating confusion for everyone. Amid all this, Tripathi's Sattu bhaiya essays the role of an eccentric criminal who just won't quit.
'Gangs of Wasseypur'
Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) was an explosive film for many acclaimed actors who earned further recognition through the movie. It introduced us to Tripathi as the ruthless Sultan Qureshi, who is the head of the Qureshi clan. Until the casting was finalized, director Anurag Kashyap was reportedly unsure about Tripathi. But once he showed up for his day-long audition in Mumbai, Kashyap was sold!
'Criminal Justice'
Tripathi essays the role of Madhav Mishra in the critically acclaimed show Criminal Justice. Over the course of the series's three seasons, his sharp yet humane Mishra has certainly become a fan favorite. Interestingly, Mishra, in a way, is a lot similar to Tripathi as a person. In a recent interview, he expressed Mishra is a lot like how he was 10-12 years ago.
'Stree'
Sure Stree (2018) already had the ball rolling with Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor, but Tripathi's Rudra bhaiya brought his own prominent flavor into the mix during the film's second half. Rudra is the only one with any knowledge about Stree responsible for the disappearance of many men from a village. Tripathi's comic timing and dialogue delivery in this horror-comedy definitely deserve a mention.
