Pankaj Tripathi (Indian Actor) Biography

Quick Info

Profession	Actor
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	05/09/1976
Age	49 years
Birthplace	Village, Belsand, near Gopalganj, Bihar
Zodiac Sign	Virgo
Hometown	Gopalganj, Bihar

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Physical Stats & More

Height	178 cm (5’ 10”)
Weight	70 kg (154 lbs)
Eye Color	Dark Brown
Hair Color	Black

Educational Qualification(s)

School	D. P. H School, Gopalganj, Bihar
College	A College in Patna National School of Drama (NSD), Delhi, India
Qualification	Graduation in Drama from National School of Drama (NSD) in 2004

Personal Life

Marriage Date	15 January 2005

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married
Wife/Spouse	Mridula
Affairs/Girlfriends	Not Known

Family

Father

Pandit Banaras Tiwari (farmer and priest; passed away on 21 August 2023)

Mother

Hemwanti

Siblings

3 Brothers (all Elders), 2 Sisters (both Elders)

Spouse

Mridula

Children

Son	None
Daughter	Aashi Tripathi

Career

Debut

Film	Run (2004)
TV	Gulal (2010)

Achievements

In October 2022, Pankaj Tripathi became the National Icon of the Election Commission of India; he was already the State Icon of Bihar to create awareness and encourage youth to participate in the elections in Bihar.
On 11 September 2023, Pankaj opened a library at a school in Belsand, Bihar, in memory of his father.
Pankaj Tripathi was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film ‘Mimi’ on 17 October 2023; the award was presented to him by the President of India Droupadi Murmu.

Favourites

Directors	Ram Gopal Varma Anurag Kashyap
Actor	Amitabh Bachchan
Political Leader	Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. He was born in a small village of Belsand in Gopalganj, Bihar.
2. His father is a farmer and a very religious person.
3. In his childhood, he joined RSS and started visiting its “Shakhas.”
4. He wasn’t aware of films till 10th standard due to lack of TV and the nearest theatre being 20 km away from his village.
5. He inclined towards acting early and performed as a ‘girl artist’ at “Chhath Festival” in his village at age 12-14.
6. After primary education, his father sent him to Patna for further studies.
7. Pankaj’s father wanted him to become a Doctor.
8. While studying in Patna, he joined ABVP and participated in Student Movements.
9. He was an active student leader at his college in Patna and an eloquent speaker.
10. He excelled in sports and represented his college in High Jump and 100-meter sprint.
11. He did a course in Hotel Management and worked as a Cook for two years at Hotel Maurya in Patna.
12. He got heavily influenced by a Proscenium Theater play titled “Andha Kuan” and wept after watching it.
13. He became more involved in art in Patna, attending drama shows and developing an interest in acting.
14. In 1995, he appeared in a play and received praise for his role as a local thief.
15. Starting in 1996, he became a regular theater artist for four years.
16. In 2001, he got selected at the National School of Drama Examination and studied there until 2004.
17. After NSD, he returned to Patna for four months to continue theater.
18. On 16 October 2004, he moved to Mumbai with his wife to pursue acting.
19. From 2004 to 2010, he took up small roles in films and TV, including a Tata Tea commercial.
20. His wife started teaching in Goregaon, Mumbai.
21. His film debut was in the 2004 movie Run.
22. In 2010, he landed a role in the TV series “Gulal” on Star Plus.
23. While working on Gulal, he auditioned for Anurag Kashyap’s film Gangs of Wasseypur and was initially not approved.
24. However, he was eventually cast as “Sultan” after persuasion from the casting director.
25. His role in Gangs of Wasseypur was well-received by both viewers and critics.
26. The success of Gangs of Wasseypur led him to receive more film offers.
27. His performances in Fukrey, Manjhi: The Mountain Man, and Masaan were lauded by critics and audiences.
28. He revealed his favorite Bihari dish is bhujiya and expressed a desire to promote Bihari and Jharkhand cuisine if he opened a restaurant.
29. One of his favorite leaders is Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whom he portrayed in the film ‘Main Atal Hoon’ (2024). He recalled trying to meet Vajpayee during a speech in Patna in 1995-96, where he saw Shatrughan Sinha for the first time.

Pankaj Tripathi Actor Indian Village, Belsand, near Gopalganj, Bihar