Pankaj Tripathi: Was never put on the posters of Hindi films

A still from Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors

Subscribe to any OTT platform, and you will find me," laughs Pankaj Tripathi, undoubtedly the star of 2020. It was almost as if the actor could do no wrong last year, as he appeared in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Ludo, Mirzapur 2 and Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, shining brighter in every subsequent outing. No wonder then, he has bagged two nominations in the Best Supporting Actor category - Film and Series - for his performances in Gunjan Saxena and Criminal Justice 2 respectively at the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards.

Even as he has become a force to reckon with in the Hindi film industry, Tripathi says that digital entertainment gave him his due. "I have been doing Hindi movies for years, but I was never put on posters of Hindi films. OTT platforms did that for me. [The makers] of web series didn't think twice about my worth as an actor before putting me on the posters. That means a lot to me. When digital entertainment started off in India, it didn't have stars. So, the [creators] decided to rope in talented actors and make them stars."

Janhvi Kapoor and Pankaj Tripathi in Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl

In the Janhvi Kapoor-led film, Tripathi was endearing as the doting father who makes his daughter believe that no dream is beyond her reach. But it is the down-on-his-luck lawyer Madhav Mishra of the Disney+Hotstar legal drama that the actor holds dearest.

"If I were not an actor, I would be a lot like Madhav Mishra in real life. He is under-confident but wise and sharp. Playing Madhav brings me joy," says the actor. Tripathi has a promising 2021, with big-ticket projects 83 and Mumbai Saga in his kitty. But he is aware that with success, comes responsibility. "There was a time when I didn't have movie offers. Today, my calendar is packed. As much as I am overwhelmed, I am also worried that I shouldn't get typecast. I make a constant effort to add layers to my character. If I don't make my character edgy or funny, why will people watch me?"

Did You Know?

After watching Gunjan Saxena, Boney Kapoor messaged Tripathi saying, "You are a better father to Janhvi than me".

Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards

Pankaj Tripathi has been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Male): Series category for Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors. The other nominees are:

. Abhishek Banerjee: Paatal Lok (Amazon Prime Video)
. Amit Sadh: Breathe: Into The Shadows (Amazon Prime Video)
. Atul Kulkarni: Bandish Bandits (Amazon Prime Video)
. Barun Sobti: Asur (Voot Select)
. Raghubir Yadav: Panchayat (Amazon Prime Video)
The actor has also been nominated in the Best Supporting Actor (Male): Film category for Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. The other nominees are:
. Rajat Kapoor: Kadakh (Sony Liv)
. Rajkummar Rao: Ludo (Netflix)
. Rahul Bose: Bulbbul (Netflix)
. Shreedhar Dubey: Raat Akeli Hai (Netflix)
. Vijay Raaz: Lootcase (Disney+Hotstar)

Log on to www.hitlistottawards.com to cast your vote.

You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.

Voting lines close on February 9.