Read further to know about the actor who once worked in a hotel kitchen during his early days and later made his name in the entertainment industry.
There’s no doubt that the Indian film industry has given many talented actors over the years. But it’s also important to note that not every star begins their journey in the spotlight. Many actors have faced struggles and taken up odd jobs before making it big in the industry. With no connections in Bollywood, this actor made his identity in the film industry on his own and has made a significant contribution to the cinema.
In this article, we are going to tell you about one such actor who once worked in a hotel kitchen. With hard work and dedication, he made his way into films and became known for his natural and versatile acting. We’re talking about Bollywood’s celebrated actor, Pankaj Tripathi.
Pankaj Tripathi once worked in hotel
Pankaj Tripathi was born on September 5, 1976, and completed his hotel management training in Patna, Bihar, where his life took a different turn. His interest in theatre was sparked during his time in Class 12, after watching a play titled Andha Kuan. The performance by actor Pranita Jaiswal moved him to tears and inspired him to pursue acting.
He often went to watch stage plays that were held in Patna between 1994-1995. By 1996, Tripathi gave up being an audience and became a performer. During this time, Tripathi also worked night shifts in a hotel kitchen. His interest led him to complete his graduation in Hindi literature, and he enrolled in the National School of Drama (NSD), Delhi and then moved to the City of Dreams, Mumbai.
Recognition for ‘Sultan Qureshi’ in Gangs of Wasseypur
In the initial years, he worked for small roles in the Bollywood films, including ‘Apaharan’, Omkara’, ‘Raavan’, ‘Agneepath’, among others. However, after working in the industry for eight years, he finally got recognition for his performance in the 2012 film ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, where he played the role of ‘Sultan Qureshi’ and was well-received by the audience. Directed by Anurag Kashyap, the film features Manoj Bajpayee, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Richa Chadha, Huma Qureshi, Jaideep Ahlawat, and Jameel Khan in the lead roles.
The 48-year-old actor has appeared in several critically acclaimed films in his acting career so far. Some of his notable works include ‘Fukrey’, ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, ‘Fukrey Returns’, ‘Stree’, ‘Super 30’, ‘Nil Battey Sannata’, ‘Dilwale’, and ‘Stree 2’.
National Award-Winning role in Newton
Pankaj was featured in the 2017 film ‘Newton’ alongside Rajkummar Rao and Anjali Patil in the lead roles. The comedy-drama won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi in 2017, and Pankaj Tripathi received a Special Mention for his performance at the 2018 National Film Awards. The film was also selected as India’s official entry for the 90th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Pankaj Tripathi: The OTT King
With the rise of OTT platforms like Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, Pankaj Tripathi has appeared as a major force in the digital world. His performances in web series such as ‘Sacred Games’, ‘Criminal Justice’, and the iconic crime thriller ‘Mirzapur’ have been widely acclaimed by the viewers. His portrayal of ‘Kaleen Bhaiya’ in Mirzapur became very popular.
What’s next for Pankaj Tripathi?
On the work front, Pankaj Tripathi was last seen in ‘Stree 2’ and will next appear in Mani Ratnam’s directorial ‘Thug Life’, starring alongside Trisha Krishnan and Kamal Haasan in key roles. The film is scheduled to release on June 5, 2025.
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