Pankaj Tripathi in Aap Ki Adalat: Pankaj Tripathi proved his mettle, be it in films or series, he has captivated the audience with his effortless acting skills. The actor gained recognition after his role as Sultan in Gangs of Wasseypur. Pankaj Tripathi appeared in the witness box of the popular show Aap Ki Adalat and candidly answered the questions of Rajat Sharma, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV. In the ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ show, Pankaj Tripathi said: “I used to work in a hotel kitchen. For six months, I worked in different departments that make Continental and Chinese cuisines, pantries, and bakeries. My chef realized my worth and he made me the supervisor by telling his seniors that I can manage and entertain people. For one year, I worked as a kitchen supervisor.”

When India TV’s Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma asked if he ever stole Manoj Bajpayee’s slipper

The actor revealed that “I did this because of Guru Bhakti (reverence for my teacher)…Guruji checked out from the hotel leaving behind a rubber slipper. The housekeeping staff told me this. I had earlier gone to Manoj Bajpayee’s room for room service, touched his feet, and told him, you tell me any nice cuisine that you want, and I will provide. 

He added The housekeeping staff gave me the slipper. I thought let me at least try to practice putting my foot in the slipper. The housekeeping staff asked me, what if he put in his claim? I replied I would buy a new branded slipper and courier it to him. This was the chappal that he claimed. He put in his claim. But he did not know that this chappal had changed my kismet (fate).”

What made Pankaj Tripathi try his luck in films?

Pankaj Tripathi revealed how he left doing TV serials to try his luck in the film ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’.  He said: “In daily soaps, your commitment is too much and you have to manage your time. You do drama for five days, and on the 6th day, 18 out of 20 minutes of drama again and then freeze, with a high point…I told them to manage my dates because I’ve got a big film. They didn’t agree, and told me, you are doing the villain’s role, now who will stop the heroine’s wedding? I told them, should I wait till I stop her wedding, or should I look after my career? I walked out, then they used the actor doing my brother’s role to stop that wedding. Such things happen on TV.

Pankaj Tripathi’s experience of working in Gangs of Wasseypur

Rajat Sharma: Why did you do that role of butcher, with blood and gore with goats and bullocks butchered?

Pankaj Tripathi: Yes I came to know this, only when I reached there. 

Rajat Sharma: I heard, you used to vomit after every shot.

Pankaj Tripathi: Yes, yes, it was terrible. I anyhow managed it. In my personal life, I do not like violent scenes…

Rajat Sharma: Were they shooting at real locations in Gangs of Wasseypur?

Pankaj Tripathi: Yes it was a real location in Allahabad. We are not in the habit of going to such places. Everybody was finding it difficult. I was particularly worried because of the ‘kasaikhana’ (butcher house) scenes. …

Rajat Sharma: Is it true that some gangsters approached you because of your role in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’?

Pankaj Tripathi: How did you know this? At that time, gangsters from the South, from the North, and entire India considered me an idol. They felt whatever the Sultan (Qureshi) says, he does it. There was not a single flaw in the entire film and in that character. He is the right person with a character. People liked that character very much. Several writers who used to come to read out their stories to me used to fear whether I may whip out a knife.

Pankaj Tripathi speaks about his experience in Main Atal Hoon

In his recent biographical film Main Atal Hoon, Pankaj Tripathi said, he initially feared a lot when he was asked to do the role of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. 

Rajat Sharma: Atal Ji was the country’s hero. You may have done a lot of preparations for playing his role.

Pankaj Tripathi: Yes, initially, I feared a lot. 

Rajat Sharma: Did you ever meet Atal Bihar Vajpayee?

Pankaj Tripathi: It was an interesting incident. 26-27 years ago, at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan. I attended the rally of my dear leader and orator. I took my cycle, tied it with a chain to an iron railing, and entered the crowd of several lakh people. I wanted to watch Atal Ji from close. I struggled hard, and I could watch him from 300-400 meters away. I watched Atal Ji speaking from a 400-meter distance, in a wide-angle frame, as they say in cinema. I could watch the entire dais, with Shatrughan Sinha standing… In the film, my director Ravi Jadhav used to address me as Atal Ji. While shooting the rally, he used to say, bring Atal Ji extremely close. When Jadhav used to say ‘extreme close’, I used to remember “extreme wide angle”. So you see, in life, sometimes extremely wide becomes extremely close, if you walk on your path.

Rajat Sharma: When Atal Bihar Vajpayee came to Aap Ki Adalat, I told him there was a contradiction in your name. He replied, my parents named me right. I am Atal and I am also Bihari. Hope we will see the same thing in your character.

Pankaj Tripathi: Well, all of us tried our best. You will surely find that.

Rajat Sharma: Atal Ji used to be soft when required, and hard when required. He was soft and hard towards Pakistan too. Did your character reflect this in the movie?

Pankaj Tripathi: Yes, we showed it. The Lahore bus trip was shown as his softness for friendly relations, and he also made hard decisions. 

Rajat Sharma: Did you read a lot about Atal Ji before doing the movie?

Pankaj Tripathi: I read a lot about him. I read so much that I can now write a book myself. I regret I could not meet you before the shooting. I could add one more dimension.

Rajat Sharma: Atal Ji was an emotional person. His eyes used to well up with tears. Like you, he was always affectionate towards people…I don’t know whether this aspect will be reflected in your movie or not.

Pankaj Tripathi: It will surely reflect. Our effort is to make young people know about Atal Ji’s personality. In life, if you have food, shelter, and clothing, what’s the fourth thing you want? Inspiration. Atal Ji’s story will surely inspire people to do something great, particularly Gen Z and Millennium kids. Our effort is to let people know how a kid from Bateshwar became Hon’ble Atal Bihari Vajpayee. His humanitarian and personal traits are reflected here.

Rajat Sharma: Can you tell us one special dimension that is going to be reflected? His oratory or his politics?

Pankaj Tripathi: About the oratory, I am sorry, however, I may try, but it is difficult to create Atal Ji’s oratory (on celluloid).  I did not prefer imitation and mimicry in the film. There are two reasons for that: One, is that is formless, and the other is, Chetna (awareness). It will look too serious.

Rajat Sharma: You mean to say, your character will not speak like Atal Ji in the movie?

Pankaj Tripathi: You may get the feel, but not exactly like that of Atal Ji. No mimicry and imitation. No copying his style of speaking. Whatever I am speaking here right now, is on speaker, but behind it, there is an amplifier. It is my thought. In my mind which one is more important: Is sound important or the thought? So I tried to catch Atal Ji’s thoughts, tried to understand it, and tried to portray it.  What would have been his thought when he said, “Governments will come and go, parties will be formed and split, but this nation should remain? The nation’s democracy must exist.” So the thought is important here.  I tried to catch his mental state by trying to portray his thoughts and frame of mind. ….

Rajat Sharma: He had a long political career and such a big canvas in his life.

Pankaj Tripathi: Yes Sir. it is impossible to encapsulate it within two hours of cinema. We selected the main events of his life and linked them to appear as if it were a story that ran for two hours. A beginning, a middle, and an end. It is difficult to squeeze his entire life into two hours of cinema.

Rajat Sharma: Did you feel the change in yourself while reading about him and enacting Atal Ji’s role?

Pankaj Tripathi: Atal Ji’s personality made me a peace-loving man. It made my inner self democratic. Meaning, if you criticize me, I will not get angry. One may have one’s perspective, but there must be assent to dissent also. You can disagree with me. I agree on this point. Atal Ji’s character brought a change in my persona on this point…

Rajat Sharma: I had once asked Atal Ji to teach me the art of oratory. He said, do not learn the art of speech, if you want to learn, learn how to remain silent.

Pankaj Tripathi: Such a big observation. Today I am in Aap Ki Adalat, otherwise, I would also have preferred to remain silent.

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