Pankaj Tripathi: Changed Surname for Success, Stunts to Impress Girls, Two Birthdays

Celebrating Two Birthdays

Pankaj Tripathi is celebrating his birthday today, but here’s a secret: he actually celebrates it twice in September! He once shared in an interview that September 5th isn’t his real birthday. His actual birthday falls on September 28th. The September 5th date was recorded when he was admitted to school, so it’s on all his official papers now. But his true birthday is later in the month.

A Surname Swap for Success

Pankaj Tripathi even changed his own and his father’s surname! There’s a funny story behind this too. His original surname was Tiwari. But he changed it to Tripathi when he was filling out his 10th-grade admission form. He explained that his uncle used the surname Tripathi and became a government officer. There was also a respected elder, a ‘Baba’, who was a Hindi professor, and he was also a Tripathi.

He realized that people who changed their surname to Tripathi seemed to find success, becoming officers or professors. On the other hand, many people named Tiwari were either priests or farmers. He didn’t want to be just a farmer or a priest. So, he wrote Tripathi for himself on the form. Then he thought, “I can’t write my father’s name as Tiwari if mine is Tripathi, it might get rejected!” So, he changed his father’s name on the form too!

Childhood Stunts to Impress Girls

In his village, young Pankaj Tripathi used to perform bicycle stunts to impress girls. This was back when he was in 7th or 8th grade. He noticed another boy who did these stunts and was very popular with the girls. So, Pankaj decided to try it himself to catch their attention.

Falling in Love Sight Unseen

Pankaj Tripathi’s love story with his wife, Mridula, is like something out of a movie. He fell for her before he even saw her! A friend of his visited Pankaj’s sister’s in-laws for a wedding and saw Mridula there. This friend came back and just raved about how beautiful she was. After hearing his friend’s glowing description, Pankaj made up his mind then and there that he would marry Mridula.

A ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’ Style First Meeting

Their first meeting was also quite cinematic, just like a scene from ‘Hum Aapke Hain Koun’. Pankaj shared in an interview that he first saw Mridula when he was in 10th grade. She was standing on a balcony, and he was looking up from below. Their eyes met, and that’s when their love story began to blossom. Soon, they were thinking about marriage. However, convincing their families wasn’t an easy task.

Mridula: His Rock During Tough Times

After getting married, Pankaj, who had graduated from the National School of Drama, moved to Mumbai to find work. But getting acting jobs wasn’t easy. To keep the household running, his wife, Mridula, who had a B.Ed degree, took a job as a teacher. This helped cover their expenses. Pankaj often says he never felt like he had a truly tragic struggle. He never had to sit under streetlights or sleep at a railway station. They lived in a small one-room house with a kitchen, and he remembers those days fondly.

“God Sent Me”

When Pankaj Tripathi was struggling to find acting roles, he would go from office to office. If a guard asked who had called him, he would simply say, “No one called me, God sent me.” When casting directors inside asked the same question, he’d give the same reply. And if they asked “Which God?”, he would point upwards. His sense of humor made some people laugh and appreciate him, while others got quite annoyed.

His First Big Break

After a lot of hard work, Pankaj Tripathi finally got his first film role in ‘Run’ in 2004. It was a very small part. For about eight more years, he kept doing minor roles. His career really took off in 2012 with his breakthrough performance as Sultan in the film ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. That role changed everything for him.

How He Landed Sultan in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’

Pankaj Tripathi earned widespread recognition for his role as Sultan in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. But getting this part was a twist of fate. Another actor was originally cast as Sultan and had even started shooting. Pankaj, on the other hand, was there for a very small role. Director Anurag Kashyap wasn’t happy with the original actor’s performance. He felt the actor wasn’t capturing the deep, cruel nature that Sultan needed on screen. Anurag was on the lookout for a new actor.

One day, on set, Anurag suddenly noticed Pankaj Tripathi. He was standing quietly, getting ready for his minor scene. Anurag saw a certain coolness and seriousness in Pankaj’s eyes – exactly what he needed for Sultan. Anurag called Pankaj over and asked, “Can you do this role?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Pankaj said yes. He immediately understood the character and poured all his acting talent into it. When he delivered his first shot as Sultan, everyone on set was amazed. And the rest, as they say, is history!