Pankaj Tripathi

I have fun doing lighter roles, as I don't have to do anything against my emotions.

Right after watching 'Kabul Express,' I wanted to work with Kabir sir. Moreover, earlier he was a documentary maker, and the respective genre has always fascinated me, and I still desire to work in one.

I used to do comedy during my theatre days, and I was good at that.

I come from the family of farmers. I am a son of a farmer.

I had never imagined that after coming to Mumbai that, as an actor, my dates would be booked in six-eight months in advance.

Janhvi is a very sincere actress. She respects me a lot, and I, too, respect her for the sincerity and commitment towards her work.

I think reading and travelling not only make us good artistes but also broaden our horizons and open our mind. It really helps us to become a good human being.

I tend to read a lot of books and believe in a certain ideology.

It was Sultan Qureshi, the character of 'Gangs of Wasseypur,' which brought success as a baddie, but it were the TC and teacher's roles in 'Masaan' and 'Nil Battey Sannata' that broke the villain's mould and helped me successfully explore the other shades - be it comedy, intense, or serious - surprising the audience all the time.

Earlier, I used to take up any role that came my way. But now I feel that I should take time and consider the role before taking it up.

I want to do different roles.

I am an aware citizen, so I want my characters to be aware, too. They should be aware of what's happening in the society and make a commentary. They're not in a la la land.

Art makes you a better human being, and that reflects in society.

If every individual starts listening to poetry, watch plays, and see paintings, they'll become a better human.

I never imagined I would be in colourful costumes and dance!

I love the vibe that I get on the sets of south films.

Survival is important, art is secondary. If you aren't alive, how can you create art?

When a man is extremely lonely, he starts discovering himself.

I used to work in a hotel kitchen at night and do theatre in the morning. After finishing my night shift - I did it for two years - I used to come back and sleep for five hours and then do theatre from 2-7 P.M. and then again hotel work from 11-7 in the morning.

I am still a villager who fell in love with acting.