‘Cinema’s menu should be different every Friday’: Pankaj Tripathi thinks film's need variety

Pankaj Tripathi

After winning praise for Ohh My Dog, Pankaj Tripathi is set to switch gears this year, returning as the ruthless Kaleen Bhaiya in Mirzapur: The Movie and starring in the family entertainer Parivarik ManuRanjan alongside Aditi Rao Hydari. For Tripathi, the contrasting choices are deliberate, he says he wants audiences to get variety, not the same formula on repeat.

Drawing a comparison with food, Tripathi says Mirzapur: The Movie has spices, while Parivarik ManuRanjan "is like home-made comfort food". "Both of them are interesting films and will be liked. Parivarik ManuRanjan is a very sweet, simple film. It has that old Hrishikesh Mukherjee vibe. There are no loud twists," smiles the actor, adding that not enough films like it are made today.

(From left) Aditi Rao Hydari and Pankaj Tripathi in ‘Parivarik ManuRanjan', stills from ‘Ohh My God' and ‘Mirzapur: The Movie'

Tripathi believes Hindi cinema increasingly replicates successful genres instead of trusting audiences to embrace different stories. "Our industry is very strange. When something works, we make 15 to 20 films like that. Cinema is the business of art. Everyone wants to invest in a trusted method, but it should be different. Just like the menu changes every day, cinema's menu should be different every Friday."

The actor also points to the paradox of Indian cinema finding audiences worldwide while still needing to balance rooted stories with mainstream entertainers. "The world is asking for both kinds of stories. Our commercial films are different from other global films. In global cinema, characters don't suddenly start singing unless it is a musical. We have songs because it's a part of our culture. I think people will watch both kinds of content on the global platform, our rooted stories and our commercial films. We need to make sure that there is all of that and more."

Films displaying Tripathi's range

>> 2012: ‘Gangs of Wasseypur'
>> 2017: ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi'
>> 2019: ‘Luka Chuppi'
>> 2019: ‘Criminal Justice'
>> 2020: ‘Ludo'
>> 2024: ‘Main Atal Hoon'