Pankaj Tripathi dismisses Pankaj Jha's claims of him ‘glamourising struggles’

Prominent Indian actor Pankaj Tripathi addresses allegations made by his fellow actor Pankaj Jha, who accuses him of 'glamorising' his struggles. Tripathi, who gained fame with Anurag Kashyap's "Gangs of Wasseypur" in 2012, firmly states that he has never "romanticised" his hardships in the industry.

In a recent interview with an Indian daily, Pankaj Jha, known for his role as Vidhayak Ji in "Panchayat", remarked that individuals who pursue their passion should embrace the journey without complaining about the challenges. Jha criticised the trend of romanticising struggles in the entertainment industry, noting, "Some people say they sold potatoes, others say they lived in a tiny house, some also say they stole another actor's slippers. I feel every situation is a learning experience."

Jha's comments referenced an episode of "The Kapil Sharma Show", where Manoj Bajpayee shared that Pankaj Tripathi once 'stole' one of his slippers as a keepsake. The incident took place at a time when Tripathi was working at a hotel where Bajpayee was staying.

In response, Tripathi, during his interview with India Today, clarified his stance. "I never romanticised my journey or struggles. Yes, I did mention that my wife used to earn while I looked for work. I never said that I would tie a gamcha (towel) on my waist and sleep outside Andheri station. I had a good and happy life when we moved to Mumbai. I have never tried to glamorise or seek sympathy from it."

Tripathi emphasised that everyone faces their battles, and if people are inspired by each other's stories, that's a positive outcome. "And even if they don't, that's not an issue. One just has to live their own lives the way they want."

He expressed admiration for actors Om Puri and Manoj Bajpayee, acknowledging their influences on his career. "I have definitely taken inspiration from them. Similarly, some may be motivated by my journey or someone else's. We are all on our respective journeys and if someone may connect with some part of it, not necessarily in terms of acting and art but in any way." When asked if Jha's allegation affected him, Tripathi replied, "Not at all. I am not someone to get hurt. All this noise doesn't affect me."

Jha had also claimed that filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who directed him in films like "Black Friday" and "Gulaal", initially offered him the role of Sultan Qureshi in "Gangs of Wasseypur", which eventually went to Tripathi.

However, Jha later retracted his statement, insisting that he never mentioned Tripathi's name in any interviews. Speaking to Indianexpress.com, Jha said, "I never mentioned the name Tripathi in any of my interviews so far. You can go listen to all of my interviews, you will know I haven't mentioned anybody's name at all. This is a very childish thing to do. Why will I go say all this to anybody? Media always needs masala, I never said any such thing, they just made it up. Becoming an actor is not the ultimate achievement. Just like how every actor wants to become a big star, similarly several journalists are also running behind fame. They make up stories to gain attention and recognition."

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Reacting to Jha's claims, noted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap dismissed them as "sour grapes," suggesting, "Now he may be thinking that after 20 years, he could have become Pankaj Tripathi."