Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi sat down for an interview and spoke about being replaced in several films while reflecting on his acting career.
The 45-year-old was asked if he ever thought about not making it to film industry without skills, to which he responded, “No, then I wouldn’t have been able to become an actor. I had thought I would learn it eventually. There are two teams--one that makes cinema and one that watches it. I have come from the latter to the former. I think that is why the audience relates to me; I am one of them. If you ask me about myself, I’ll start talking about grains, vegetables, farming, because that’s where I come from.”
While talking about struggling in Bollywood, the Mimi actor said, “I am always at a loss of words when someone talks to me about my ‘struggle’. I never felt it was a struggle because it was something that I loved doing. You don’t get tired when you turn your passion into a profession. If I were to do a 9-5 job, I’d have struggled.”
Tripathi further revealed he had been kicked out of projects many times, “You are told you have been finalised till the very end, and one day, you find out you have been replaced. Of course, it hurts, but it is a part of the process. However, every project I have been replaced in, has eventually flopped; trust me, I didn’t jinx them (laughs). So, in hindsight, it was for the best! Jo nahi ho sake poorn kaam, unko karta hoon main pranaam (Wishes that remain unfulfilled are probably for the best).”
