Choosing his films based on their intent over commercial returns, Pankaj discusses how Vajpayee’s biopic Main Atal Hoon has been a soul-searching project for him
Pankaj Tripathi
Main Atal Hoon is one of those rare films wherein Pankaj Tripathi was initially unsure whether he could do justice to the role. Portraying the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, after all, is a big responsibility. So, what made him give his nod to the biopic? Intent, he says. “The man’s intent supersedes everything else about him. He believed in democracy. Since he was a writer-poet, everything was approached with empathy. He could oppose someone, but there was never any bad blood. He was loved by everyone, and the core of such a man is important to know in today’s divisive times,” states the actor.
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Atal Bihari Vajpayee
The producers and director Ravi Jadhav have often said that they wouldn’t have made Main Atal Hoon if Tripathi turned down the role. The actor admits the film required him to do soul-searching. He didn’t take up any other project, as he was fully invested in understanding the leader. “You can’t mimic such a glorious man. So, I met my drama school teachers to understand how to go about this. The film gives you an insight into who he was, how he thought and why he did what he did. Main Atal Hoon is not a fictional tale, you need to be loyal to who he was. There is an added responsibility because a national leader’s vast life is being put into a two-hour film.”
A still from the film
In the past, he has shouldered films as the leading man, including the hit OMG 2 (2023) and Kadak Singh (2023). Tell him it’s his mainstream hero moment, and he says he cares little for such terminologies. “I’m grateful for the love and accolades we got for OMG 2. But fame, commerce and love are by-products that may or may not come one’s way. What matters to me is the sincerity with which I do a film. I don’t want to know my movie’s collections. Its presence doesn’t give me joy, and its absence doesn’t dishearten me either. I’m an actor and all I know how to do well is act.”
Up next, Tripathi has two films and Criminal Justice 4; but before that, a well-deserved vacation. “I am feeling a sense of fatigue that can be rectified only by taking off and exploring the world. Now, I will take two weeks off, and after Criminal Justice is completed, I hope I can take some time off to restore work-life balance.”
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