
Pankaj Tripathi On Avoiding Repetition In Acting: 'When You Do Lot Of Work…'
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Pankaj Tripathi, recently seen in Criminal Justice Season 4, said that while he has his own unique style, he always strives to bring something different to every role he plays.
Pankaj Tripathi is undoubtedly one of the most talented actors in Bollywood. He was recently seen in Criminal Justice season 4, in which he returned as the beloved Madhav Mishra. in a recent interview, the actor opened up about how he avoids repetition in acting, and does not agree that all his roles are similar. He compared his work to paintings by the same artist, stating that they are similar due to the style, but has subtle differences up close. Pankaj Tripathi said that he strives to being those subtle distinctions to each character he plays.
While speaking with Hindustan Times, Pankaj Tripathi said, 'There is a problem in our Hindi film industry that in the days of struggle, there is no work. There were 2-3-year periods between 2004 and 2012 when I did not even face a camera. I could not shoot. After that, I got some small roles, and slowly, I became bigger. A lot of offers came my way. Jab bhookh zyada lagi ho to over-eating karna sambhav hai (When you are famished, there is a possibility of over-eating). So, I overate. I did a lot of work. That creates the challenge of keeping things different. You try, that's all you can do."
However, he said not all his roles are similar. Using the example of an artist, he explained that 10 paintings by the same artist will appear similar from a distance because the artist has a unique style. However, upon closer inspection, one can notice subtle differences in each piece. 'That is my effort too, to bring that minor difference. The important thing is to work less. But when you do a lot of work, my effort is not to lose my touch that the audience likes, but the characters still feel different," he said.
About Criminal Justice 4
Pankaj Tripathi returned as the beloved Madhav Mishra in Criminal Justice Season 4. The new season has been streaming since May 22 on JioHotstar. Besides Pankaj Tripathi, the cast includes Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Surveen Chawla, Mita Vashisht, Asha Negi, Shweta Basu Prasad, Khushboo Atre, and Barkha Singh in key roles. The show is an official adaptation of the 2008 British television series of the same name.
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With this, Nair had the opportunity of talking about the massacre at Jallianwala Bagh in front of the English press, and this was the only way the higher-ups in the British government and the locals of the country would get to know how Britain was treating its subjects in India. But, there were some major cons as well. The trial would be presided by an English judge and the judgment would be made by an English jury, and chances were, that they would support O'Dwyer because he was one of them. Nair also did not have the opportunity of presenting his witnesses in person, and would only get a chance to read out their testimony, that could be misinterpreted by foreigners. All of his disadvantages would be advantageous for O'Dwyer but he decided to fight this battle anyway. Even though the trial was was held in England, Dyer did not attend a day in court on account of his ill health so Nair never really confronted him in any court, which is the base of Kesari Chapter 2. ALSO READ | Dharma's creative head responds to Kesari 2 director's comments on film blending fact, fiction: 'Masterclass for Philistines' Nair went through many troubles while preparing for this trial. The first barrister he hired to represent him was promoted to Attorney General, so he quit. The second barrister he hired quit just a day prior. And so, in desperate times, he had to hire Sir Walter Schwabe, a former Chief Justice of the Madras High Court. Schwabe was a learned man but wasn't a trial lawyer, and thus, wasn't cut out for such court battles. In the book written by his grandson, it is questioned why Nair didn't represent himself, but there is no explanation provided for the same. 'It is unclear as to why Nair did not choose to defend himself when Simon withdrew. He would have certainly acquitted himself better than Schwabe who was not as experienced, strong or as knowledgeable about the case,' it read. Nair vs O'Dwyer began in April 30, 1924, almost five years after Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the case went on for nearly five and a half weeks, presided by Justice Henry McCardie. Nair's case was about O'Dwyer being aware of Dyer's actions in Amritsar but after the opening remarks, McCardie, who had blind faith in the British Empire and considered himself to be superior, turned it into an evaluation of Dyer's actions, as he repeatedly insisted that Dyer had to shoot at people to avoid a mutiny. The case was no longer about O'Dwyer's involvement but about justifying the barbaric acts of Dyer in the name of saving the Empire. McCardie was supposed to be an impartial judge, but he acted like he was a lawyer for O'Dwyer. Together, they painted a picture where they made the jury believe that Amritsar was in a volatile state when the events at Jallianwala Bagh happened only to avoid a mutiny. All the facts presented by Nair's lawyer fell on deaf ears and they couldn't convince the jury of the truth. But, even at the end, there was a chance that there could be a mistrial as the jury could not come to a unanimous verdict. McCardie did not want this case to go for another trial so he asked both parties if they would be comfortable with a majority vote, which means that the side getting the most votes from the jury would win the case. By this time, Nair was tired. His grandson said in his book, 'Nair was tired. The case had originally been filed in the middle of 1922. Two years had passed and, during this time, the case had entirely consumed him. He wanted it to end and to get on with his life. For Nair, it had never been about the money. He had fought this case because he had been asked to give a public apology for a claim he had made in his book – a claim he believed to be true. He had refused to apologise then and instead had chosen to fight the case in an English court. Now that an apology had not been demanded, he felt vindicated.' The terms of the case were now modified as it was mutually decided that the one who won would get £500 plus legal fees. Nair demanded that if O'Dwyer lost, he would apologise to those he wronged in Punjab, and he agreed. However, Nair lost the case, 11-1. He was now held guilty for defaming O'Dwyer. He was asked that if he gave an apology now, the monetary compensation would be ignored but Nair was ready to pay, and firmly refused to issue an apology. Nair, who had spent years working with the British, was disillusioned by the British justice system after this case. He refused to go to trial again, as he was certain that the British would not let their own people down. While Nair was a vocal critic of Mahatma Gandhi, he wrote about Nair's trial in Young India on June 12, 1924, 'By accepting Sir Michael O'Dwyer's challenge, Sir Sankaran Nair has put the British constitution and the British people on trial. They have been tried and found wanting. Even in this simple matter, a man of Sir Sankaran Nair's proved loyalty could not get justice,' the Mahatma wrote. Sankaran Nair is a man whose story deserves to be known by Indians all over the world for he truly fought an impossible fight and even though he wasn't victorious, he was an important part of India's awakening against the British. Most real-life stories are slightly modified when they are adapted in movies, but if one changes the central conflict and the verdict, then it's not even a real story anymore. Kesari Chapter 2 is historical fiction in the garb of an 'untold story'. Sampada Sharma has been the Copy Editor in the entertainment section at Indian Express Online since 2017. ... Read More