Pankaj Tripathi encourages daughter Aashi Tripathi as she debuts with La-ilaaj play

Pankaj Tripathi in the final act of the play, ‘La-ilaaj’

Lots of Pankaj Tripathis of the next five years are here," said Pankaj himself, introducing the play, La-ilaaj, directed by Faiz Mohammed Khan, at Bandra's Rangsharda auditorium, late Sunday night.

The play's been produced by Pankaj, with his wife, Mridula Tripathi. And the actor as the female lead was their daughter, young Aashi Tripathi.

Present in the audience were some of Pankaj's co-stars from the series, Mirzapur: Shweta Tripathi and Rasika Dugal. A mention of the show in the play had the audience in splits.

(L-R) Omkar Patil and Aashi Tripathi. Pics/By Special Arrangement

What did we think of the play? A fine, fun, rustic musical with the quality of onstage singing so stellar that it felt as if it was pre-recorded.

Especially, from the male lead (Omkar Patil). Young Aashi did a dance number that seemed an evocative ode to Umrao Jaan (1981).

The surprise package was still Pankaj in the third/final act, coolly encouraging the fresh cast, including the new talented Tripathi in town!