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.