Pankaj Tripathi reveals he hasn't signed anything new for a year, has learnt to said no: ‘Don't want to be counting my days on set'

Indian Express

2 days ago

Pankaj Tripathi made his debut 20 years ago with Prakash Jha's 2005 crime action film Apaharan. He continued to play small parts for years before gaining recognition as a formidable actor. He continued to do those parts for money, but now, he feels he's in a place that he can say no.
'I'm practising to say no. Every person should know their boundary. Beyond that, I just say no politely: 'Thank you, friend. This is where I draw my line.' I kept working for 16-18 hours, kept saying the actors have left, it's just the labour left behind now. But now, I politely say no and say I've met my commitment for the day,' said Tripathi.
In the interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, he continued, 'The story should excite me. Now, I don't want to do projects for money because I've come beyond that phase now. I shouldn't be counting the number of days left on set. It happened to me a while ago. I thought I've made so many sacrifices and gone through so many struggles only to count the days left on set? This is very wrong.'
Tripathi revealed though he didn't announce it, he hasn't done a film for a year. 'I went on a break for self-reflection and physical healing. Which is why I've lost so much weight. I work out in some form or the other for two and a half to three hours for six days a week. I travelled a lot too. I stayed in my village for 15 days and also spent some time abroad,' he added.
Tripathi clarified he continued to do brand endorsements during this break, along with some patchwork shoot of Anurag Basu's upcoming romantic anthology Metro In Dino. 'Anurag da's film doesn't get completed so easily. After editing, he feels like reworking a scene. So I did that,' said Tripathi.
He said no to producers claiming that he doesn't have the time to do any more projects. 'There was a lot of time. I was giving it to myself. Even in the media, I used to fold my hands and tell them to not invite me anywhere. I'd talk when I have a project coming up,' said Tripathi, adding he's now listening to new stories and is also committed to new instalments of franchises he's a part of.
Also Read — Pankaj Tripathi recalls being scolded by director for adding humour to his roles, wants innocence in real life: 'We should practise being innocent for 5 minutes every day'
Tripathi confirmed he'll be seen in Mirzapur The Film and season 4 of Prime Video India's popular gangster thriller show. He'll also star in the third instalment of Amar Kaushik's horror comedy Stree, which was announced after the record-breaking success of Stree 2 last year. Tripathi was last seen in Criminal Justice: A Family Matter last week on Jio Hotstar.
'I'd listen to 5-10 original stories every week. We say new writers don't get enough chances in Hindi cinema, but there are no new scripts coming in. There are a few which have come my way, I'll do those,' added Tripathi.