Pankaj Tripathi: “I was running too fast lockdown has given me much needed respite”

Though the lockdown is no reason to be happy, actor Pankaj Tripathi has taken these last two months in his stride and is, in fact, most grateful for the break.

“See, Sir, success came late to me,” Pankaj explains. “I began getting good work quite late in my career. So it was impossible for me to say no to the offers that came my way.Jo bhi mila maine haan keh diya (I said yes to everything). Consequently I was overloaded with work. I was just running from shooting to shooting. I hardly had time for myself and my family,” confesses Pankaj.

He says the lockdown has slowed him down in a good way. “I am getting to spend time with my wife, daughter and dog for the first time in years. I finally got to know my daughter well. I never knew she had such a great sense of humour. And she was homeschooling on her own. She didn’t need our help. Now she has her vacation and all three of us are enjoying our home. We bought our home in Madh Island recently and I had still not got a chance to feel at home. Now I am so house-proud. We’ve lots of space and peace. The view from our home offers acres of greenery. I feel blessed. I wouldn’t exchange this life for anything.”

Pankaj has also caught up on a lot of reading. “ I read a biography on Nargisji which I really enjoyed and there’re so many books to read. One lifetime is not enough for them. So am I fed up of the lockdown? Am I anxious to return to work? Not at all. This is Mother Nature’s way of telling us it is time to slow down. Our universe is rebooting.And this pause was required. No I am not complaing at all.”

Only one thing distresses Pankaj. “When I see all those migrant workers walking for miles without food and shelter I feel bad. This pandemic has hit a section of our people very hard. I hope it will soon be over.”

As far as Pankaj’s work is concered he has suffered some setbacks. “Three of my films Kargil Girl, Ludo and Sandeep Pinky Faraar were to open in April and May. Now I don’t when they will release. I also have ten days of shooting left for the second season of my webseries Criminal Justice. Mirzapur 2 is in editing. My character in Mirzapur was surprisingly popular. The memes and the tweets asking for his return haven’t stopped Pataa nahin kab hoga! But these are such minor issues compared with what we are going through.”

Pankaj also had plans to visit his hometown in Bihar to celebrate Ramnavmi in April. “I hope to make it next year,” the actor promises himself.