Getting into the character with Pankaj Tripathi
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated June 30, 2025)Q. You've played Madhav Mishra in Criminal Justice across four seasons now. How do you keep finding new layers to a character you've inhabited for so long?Every season is a new case and a new situation. This also means new aspects of Madhav Mishra's past experiences get added to the plotline, which allows me to play him with a fresh perspective.advertisementQ. Having worked with Anurag Basu in Ludo and now MetroIn Dino, how would you describe the creative rhythm you share?
If I had one word to describe it, it would be brilliant. As an actor, I don't like to go to a set too prepared. He also doesn't demand it. Instead, he wants us to find the character on the spot. I enjoy the unknown, so I have enjoyed collaborating with him.Q. You recently shot a film in Bihar—your home state—for the first time in your career. Was that experience different from how you expected it would be?I didn't expect it to be as emotional as it ended up being. I began my journey as a performer on the dusty streets of a small village in Bihar, never imagining that one day I would return to these very lanes with a film crew.advertisementQ. Has there been a role in the past few years that truly challenged or transformed you as an actor?That would be my character from OMG 2 because it required me to talk about sex education and make it look graceful. I feel the role helped me evolve as a human being.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
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