
Pankaj Tripathi reveals if he is part of Kamal Haasan-starrer Thug Life amid row. Here's what actor has to say
Actor Pankaj Tripathi has reacted to a question on whether he is part of Thug Life amid a row following Kamal Haasan's recent statement. When India Today asked Pankaj about his experience working with Kamal, he refuted being part of the film. (Also Read | Karnataka HC adjourns Kamal Haasan's Thug Life release to June 10, notes actor's letter did not have the word 'apology')
Pankaj Tripathi called the rumours false, adding that it is a brainchild of the internet. The actor said, "Yeh jhooti khabar hai, yeh satya nahi hail. Yeh internet dwara paida ki hui khabar hai. Haan ji, main nahi kar raha hoon (This is false news, it's not true. It's a rumour born on the internet)." However, Pankaj is open to working in South films provided that the language is Hindi.
The actor said that when he speaks the lines, he should know the language. 'Kyunki main gaya tha ek baar Telugu film karne. Aur jab main 'ABCD' bolne mein... mujhe bahut asahajta hoti hai. Ki line samajhni chahiye, ki main jo bol raha hoon. Toh main chahta hoon karun, lekin character Hindi-speaking taki mere abhinay mein sahajata rahe (I once went to do a Telugu film, and when I had to say even simple lines like 'ABCD', I felt very uncomfortable. I need to understand the meaning of what I'm saying, and I want my character to be Hindi-speaking so that my performance can feel natural and effortless)," he added.
Thug Life found itself in a controversy after Kamal made "Kannada was born out of Tamil" remark. On Tuesday, the Karnataka High Court rapped the actor for refusing to apologise for the comment while hearing a plea seeking protection for release of his movie Thug Life in the state.
The movie will not be released in Karnataka on June 5, the scheduled date for the pan-India release, its producers told the court, following which it postponed the hearing to June 10. Kamal had said that his statement was misunderstood and that his words were taken out of context.
Thug Life, directed by Mani Ratnam, also stars Trisha Krishnan and Silambarasan TR in the lead roles.
Pankaj will be next seen in Metro In Dino helmed by Anurag Basu. Backed by producer Bhushan Kumar, the film introduces a world of modern love and relationships. The film also features Anupam Kher, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ali Fazal, Neena Gupta and Saswata Chatterjee. The film is set to release on July 4.
with PTI inputs
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