Know about the journey of Actor Pankaj Tripathi

Pankaj Tripathi, this name was not heard by many before Anurag Kashyap’s Gang of Wasseypur gained immense public recognition. From portraying the role of Kaleen Bhaiya in Amazon Prime’s popular web series Mirzapur to playing Satyendra Tripathi aka Sattu Bhaiya in Netflix’s Ludo, his versatility is visible in the kind of work he has done.

Pankaj Tripathi, this name was not heard by many before Anurag Kashyap’s Gang of Wasseypur gained immense public recognition. From portraying the role of Kaleen Bhaiya in Amazon Prime’s popular web series Mirzapur to playing Satyendra Tripathi aka Sattu Bhaiya in Netflix’s Ludo, his versatility is visible in the kind of work he has done.

Known for his natural acting and down-to-earth personality, Pankaj lives every character he plays. Even with less screen time, he will leave an impact on the audience. Whether playing the role of a powerful don or a supportive and understanding father, he convinces you with whatever he does. With his hard work and dedication, Pankaj Tripathi has become a prominent personality in Bollywood.

Let’s know more about the life and career journey of Pankaj Tripathi:

Early Life

Pankaj Tripathi was born on September 5, 1976, in Belsand Village in the Goopalganj district of Bihar. His father, Pandit Banaras Tripathi, is a farmer and his mother is Hemawanti Tripathi. He has three elder siblings and got married to Mridula in January 2004. Her daughter named, Aashi Tripathi, was born in 2006.

After schooling at DPH School in Gopalganj Bihar, he went to Patna for training in hotel management. During this time, he came across the National School of Drama (NSD) in Delhi. He was always fond of acting, and he knew there could not be a better place to get formal training in acting. That is why, to get there, he first completed his graduation in Hindi literature. 

While pursuing his graduation, he became an active member of student politics. As a result of which, he also went to jail for seven days. In 2004, Tripathi completed his graduation in Drama from the National School of Drama, Delhi.

The Journey from Bihar to Bombay

Although the acting journey of Pankaj Tripathi started back in the days when he used to act as a woman in plays during his school days, he also did theatre along with his hotel job in Patna. In 2004, after graduating from NSD, he moved to Mumbai with his wife and daughter.

He made his debut in films with a small role in the 2004 film Run. Then in 2006, he did Omkara, Dharm in 2207, Raavan in 2010, and Chillar Party in 2011. In the meantime, he also acted in television series like Powder and Zindagi Ka Har Rang Gulaal. 

He has worked in more than sixty films in Hindi, Bhojpuri, English, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Punjabi. He has also appeared in several television advertisements, television series, and Web series.

The Big Break

After struggling for almost eight years, he finally got his big break from his role as Sultan Qureshi in Anurag Kashyap’s 2012 film ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. His role got recognition from the people and became a household name. Since then, he has portrayed several famous roles, and today he is known to be an actor in its true sense. 

Notable performances

Some of Pankaj Tripathi’s notable performances are

  • Sultan Quereshi in Gangs of Wasseypur (Part 1 and 2)
  • Rudra in Stree
  • Sattu Bhaiya in Ludo
  • Khanna Guruji in Sacred Games
  • Kaleen Bhaiya in Mirzapur

Awards and Accolades

  • International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) for Best Supporting Actor in Ludo (2022)
  • Indian Television Academy Awards for Best Actor- Web Series for Mirzapur (2021)
  • iReel Awards for Best Actor- Drama for Mirzapur (2019) 
  • Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor in Stree (2019)
  • Special Mention in 65th National Film Awards for Newton (2018)

What’s Next?

Pankaj Tripathi will be seen in Srijit Mukherjee’s Sherdil – The Pilibhit Saga and Oh My God 2.