From jail cell, hotel kitchen to big screen: Story of Pankaj Tripathi

Pankaj Tripathi's journey of becoming a filmstar mirrors a Bollywood movie there's drama, dreams, rejection and hope and despite the fame he has earned, the actor holds all of this close to him to remain humble.

Tripathi made fleeting appearances in several films before gaining prominence with Anurag Kashyap's "Gangs of Wasseypur" in 2012.

Today, Tripathi has a lot on his plate - he has a film running in the theatres, "Kaala", and has big projects like "Super 30" with Hrithik Roshan, Dharma Production's "Drive", Rajkummar Rao's "Streee" and remake of the web series "Criminal Justice", among others in the pipeline.

"There was a time when I used to keep my phone at a spot in my house where the possibility of good network was the strongest, so that I don't miss any call.

"I used to wait for phone calls from casting directors and ADs (assistant directors), but days used to pass without my phone ringing," Tripathi says, reminiscing his early days of struggle for a toehold in Bollywood.

"Today, the situation is such that I cannot answer many calls. But I'm the same actor who struggled in Mumbai and waited for my phone to ring. I am still a villager who fell in love with acting," he adds.

In an interview with PTI, Tripathi charts his life story, how a farmer's son born in Bihar's Belsand village made his way to becoming one of the most sought-after actors currently in Bollywood.

As a child growing up in the tiny village, Tripathi was part of two-three "amateur level plays" where he would play a girl and was far removed from the world of acting.

He moved for higher studies to Patna, where his life eventually took a turn.

In Class 12, he saw the play 'Andha Kuan' where the performance of the actor Pranita Jaiswal moved him to tears. Tripathi took such a liking to theatre, he used to cycle his way to watch all stage performances held in Patna, religiously, from 1994-95.

By 1996, he found himself on the other side - he was no more the audience, he became the artiste.

"I used to work in a hotel kitchen at night and do theatre in the morning. After finishing my night shift - I did it for two years - I used to come back and sleep for five hours and then do theatre from 2-7 pm and then again hotel work from 11-7 in the morning."
"I remember the date because it was my wife's birthday and I didn't even have the money to buy a cake or a gift. When people like me come to this city, after theatre training and life experiences, they always remember important dates."
"So I was waiting, always, with every film to show what I am capable of. Survival is important, art is secondary. If you aren't alive, how can you create art? I was constantly polishing my craft."