Actor Pankaj Tripathi, best known for his work in Mirzapur, has opened up about how his approach to choosing films has changed over the years. The actor revealed that financial rewards no longer encourage him to take up projects.
Pankaj recalled that securing work and earning a livelihood were once his primary motivations. Now, he priorities creative satisfaction and the joy of performing over lucrative offers. In an interview with The Hindustan Times, the actor said, "Without excitement, I just can't do a film.” He added, “That's where the joy lies: I must feel excited to do it first. No matter how much money someone offers, cheques don't inspire or excite me anymore. So there should be a story where I feel, ‘Yes, this will be fun to do,’ or there's something hidden in the story that I want to give back to society."
For Pankaj Tripathi, the measure of a good film has gradually moved beyond the remuneration it offers. Interestingly, the actor's current opinion comes from a place that is quite different from his beginning. Looking back on his initial days, Pankaj called it a "survival phase", getting a film and earning a livelihood were enough reasons to accept an offer. Even modest ambitions like buying a car was a lot.
However, tables have turned with time, and Pankaj has a philosophical approach to work now. The actor explained that artistic satisfaction has become his primary focus, with a script needing to either offer him excitement or an opportunity to communicate something meaningful to society.
The actor also admitted that turning down offers has not necessarily been easy. "It is definitely not easy because my human side thinks, ‘This person came with high hopes. Their career might depend on this project.’ But ultimately, if a project doesn't excite me, I have to decline it,” Gangs of Wasseypur actor explained.
Pankaj Tripathi's latest release is Parivarik ManuRanjan, a rom-com film starring Aditi Rao Hydari alongside. The film premiered on SonyLiv on November 13.
