'Didn't pursue politics after getting arrested'

Pankaj Tripathi, slated to depict the character of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the biopic "Main Atal Hoon", openly shared how his early interest in politics came to an end when he was arrested and subjected to police violence.

During an interview with ANI, Tripathi discussed his aspiration to enter politics in his home state, remarking, "Everyone is a politician in Bihar."

Tripathi, who was part of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during his college days in Bihar, revealed that during that period, he had never contemplated entering politics.

The actor expressed, "I never thought about entering politics at that time. There was a thought that I might proceed in this line but then there was an arrest and the cops beat me up so I left that thought there and then. At the same time, I became inclined towards plays and dramas and after watching those, I got more attracted towards theatre."

In a recent event, during the trailer launch of his upcoming biopic on Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi discussed his fascination with politics and detailed the preparations he undertook for his role in portraying the former prime minister of India.

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He also recalled a funny anecdote from his college days when he joined the ABVP, "I was in a youth wing. I have participated in andolans (movements in English). I was even jailed for a week! It seemed I was heading that way. Then I realised that the path of politics is full of thorns. Hence, I took a turn and started developing an interest in street theatre. There was Kaildas Rangalaya, Patna where I enrolled myself. I thought that was better for me."

The movie "Main Atal Hoon", directed by Ravi Jadhav, is scheduled for release on January 19. Pankaj Tripathi expressed his honour in portraying Atal Bihari Vajpayee's story on the silver screen.

"More than the film, the journey of playing Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee is really close to my heart. The man is truly a legend, and we are honoured to bring his inspiring story to the world. I hope audiences appreciate our efforts to bring in the legacy of Atal ji onto the big screens," said Tripathi regarding the former PM.

Bhanushali Studios Limited and Legend Studios, with Vinod Bhanushali, Sandeep Singh, Sam Khan, and Kamlesh Bhanushali are involved in the production of this film project.