I want to slow down, sign fewer projects: Pankaj Tripathi

Hyderabad: Pankaj Tripathi is a name to reckon with in the Indian cinema industry. Be it for his character in Mirzapur, OMG 2 or the very latest Main Atal Hoon, the actor effortlessly gets it right. In an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle, Pankaj Tripathi talks about why he wants to take on fewer projects.

You have been doing back-to-back movies and series, how do you manage to have so much energy despite your busy schedule?
I have no idea about how I manage it. But now, I have decided to take on fewer projects so this question does not come to my mind or to that of a journalist. It is tiring and hectic. So, going forward I want to take it slow.

You play a lot of intense roles. When you are shooting two projects at the same time, how do you switch between the roles?
I am a trained actor. I have learnt the craft from drama school and with long years of theatre training. So, it is easier to switch on and off between the roles.

Why did you say Yes to the role in Main Atal Hoon?
Atal ji was my favourite poet and politician. I loved his parliamentary speeches and his parliamentary characteristics always attracted me, hence I said Yes to the role because of this.

Playing Atal is very different from all the roles you have played so far or are going to play in future. How did you prepare for that?
I read a lot of books, watched a lot of videos, and discussed at length with the director Ravi Jadhav and then did what I did.

How did you pick up Atal Ji’s body language, dialogue delivery and mannerism?

Through his video clippings which were available. Although I did not focus much on those as my focus was more on what we call as “satvik abhinaya” in the craft of acting. I made efforts to understand his thought process and personality rather than imitating his mannerisms.

Web series involves shooting for longer duration and long hours. Do you think long format shows take a toll on the health of actors?
Any shooting is hectic because our working hours last for 12 hours. So, if one is not disciplined, it will affect their health. Any shooting involves a lot of physical, emotional, and mental labour. You have to be disciplined and follow effective time management to handle this.

Thanks to your character in Mirzapur, you have become a very popular meme on social media. How does it feel when you see them?
It feels nice. When people are spending so much time on watching and making these memes it is a kind of love and appreciation for you and the characters that you play. So, yes, it feels good to see those memes.

When is Mirzapur season 3 coming?
Amazon Prime Video will answer it correctly. I am just an actor and not the broadcaster, so I will not be able to answer it.

What next after Main Atal Hoon?
Murder Mubarak should be the next one. It is a Netflix Original film and it is a fantastic film. Other upcoming projects are Gulkanda Tales, Mirzapur 3, Metro In Dino, Stree 2 and Criminal Justice 4.