Pankaj Tripathi is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Bollywood. He is famous for his natural acting skills. The actor rose to fame with his supporting role in the film, “Gangs of Wasseypur,” in which he essayed the role of ‘Sultan.’
Biography/Wiki
Pankaj Tripathi was born on 5 September 1976 (age 45 years; as of 2021) in Belsand, a small town in Gopalganj district of Bihar, India. He did his schooling at D. P. H. School in Gopalganj. Tripathi was inclined towards acting right from his childhood, and merely at the age of 12, he started to perform as a ‘girl artist‘ at ‘Chhath Festivals’ in his village.
Tripathi’s father wanted him to be a doctor and sent him to Patna for higher studies. While studying there, he joined ABVP and actively participated in college politics. He was an eloquent speaker. Pankaj was also good at sports and represented his college in High Jump and 100-meter-sprint. After completing his college education, he joined a course in Hotel Management and worked as a ‘cook’ for two years at Hotel Maurya.
Pankaj Tripathi Cooking
Later, the actor worked in theatre for several years before featuring in films.
Physical Appearance
Pankaj is 5’ 10” tall and weighs 70 kg. He has dark brown eyes and black hair.
Family, Caste & Wife
Pankaj was born into a Hindu Family. His father, Pandit Banaras Tiwari is a farmer and a priest, and his mother, Hemwanti, is a homemaker. He has 3 elder brothers and 2 elder sisters.
Pankaj Tripathi with his Parents
His wife’s name is Mridula, and he got married to her on 15 January 2005, and they have a daughter named Aashi Tripathi.
Pankaj Tripathi with his wife and daughter
Pankaj Tripathi’s wedding photo
Career
It was there in Patna that the actor got more attracted to art. He started visiting various drama shows; asking them if he can act as well. In 1995, he performed a small role of a local thief in the play based on Bhism Sahni’s story of Leela Nandlal, which was directed by Vijay Kumar (an NSD pass out). His performance was highly appreciated by the audience and media alike. From thereon, he became a regular theatre artist and practised it for around 4 years.
After spending 7 years in Patna, Pankaj relocated to Delhi. He enrolled himself in National School of Drama, from where he graduated in 2004. Further, he returned to Patna and did theatre for 4 months.
On 16 October 2004, Tripathi moved to Mumbai and did an uncredited role in the film ‘Run,’ starring Abhishek Bachchan and Vijay Raaz. He did several small roles in films and television before playing a prominent role in TV drama titled “Gulal.”
While shooting for Gulal, Pankaj received a call for an audition for Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Gangs of Wasseypur.’ The audition went on for about 8 hours, and he was offered a role of “Sultan.” His performance in the film was well praised by the audience and led him to receive more offers from several filmmakers. His works in Fukrey, Manjhi: The Mountain Man and Masaan were also well appreciated by the critics and audience.
In 2017, Tripathi bagged his first lead role in the film Gurgaon.
Favourite Things
- Tripathi’s hobbies include cooking, reading, travelling, and listening to music.
- His favourite actor is Amitabh Bachchan.
- He likes to work with director Anurag Kashyap and Ram Gopal Verma.
Facts
- Tripathi joined RSS a very young age and started visiting its “Shakhas.”
- His wife is a teacher in Goregaon, Mumbai.
- Pankaj wasn’t aware of films till 10th standard; because of not having a TV at his home. The nearest theatre was around 20 km away from his village.
- Tripathi was honoured with a National Film Award- Special Mention for his film, Newton.
