Pankaj Tripathi says police beatings ended his student-leader dream

Before Mirzapur and Stree, Pankaj Tripathi had a very different plan: he wanted to be a student leader. A police beating changed that, he says.

The actor shared the story on The Great Indian Kapil Show, hosted by Kapil Sharma, where comedian Zakir Khan and educator Dr Vikas Divyakirti also appeared.

What did he say?

An audience member asked whether he had ever considered a different career as a student. Tripathi said he wanted to be a student leader, "but the police beat me so badly that I changed my mind that very day."

He also said he worked at a hotel for two years, peeling onions and potatoes. He felt his destiny was elsewhere. Acting, he said, came naturally: "let it take its course."

What about OTT and outsiders?

Navjot Singh Sidhu asked how he made a name without a film-industry background, and whether OTT (streaming) platforms helped. Tripathi agreed they did.

He said people like him come from ordinary families, but got opportunities in this democratic space and worked hard to earn their place. That possibility, he added, exists for every kid in India.

And politics?

Tripathi also revealed that he has received offers to enter politics since becoming an established actor. The source does not say which parties made them.

He had touched on this before. At an Express eAdda event in 2020, he said he had worked hard to become an actor and that moving from abhineta (actor) to neta (politician) would seem strange. Still, he said politics can change people's lives directly, and he did not rule it out for the future if the opportunity presented itself.

Today he is one of Hindi cinema's best-known actors, recognised for Mirzapur, Stree, Newton, Mimi and OMG 2.