Pankaj Tripathi: If there was no OTT, there would have been a fight still going on with me

Acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi attributes his rise to OTT, from his roles as the cheeky lawyer Madhav Mishra in Criminal Justice to the power-hungry Godman Guruji in Sacred Games.

In an interview with IANS, Pankaj stated that there would still be a battle with him today if there had been no OTT. He would have been unable to reach him because material and storylines are more important than performers. OTT only provided him that space.

He credits his success to the internet. Pankaj went on to say that he is who he is because of the roles he has played and the stories being written. Despite his diminutive stature, his characters and stories are enormous. All of his growth has been attributed to OTT.

The actor also shared that his journey into acting has a lengthy history. He was interested in this field, and once he became interested, he gave up farming and student politics. He applied for five to six jobs without success, which is how he discovered movies. The same 15-20 years are required here. He is not sure whether he is successful, but it took him between 15 and 20 years to get where he is now.

The 45-year-old actor made his acting debut in Run and Omkara in 2004. His breakthrough came in 2012 when he played the franchise's antagonist in Gangs of Wasseypur.

For his work in movies like Fukrey, Masaan, Nil Battey Sannata, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Newton, Stree, Ludo, and Mimi, he has won praise. With shows like Mirzapur, Criminal Justice, Yours Truly, and Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors, Pankaj has also made a name for himself in the OTT world.

Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga, Pankaj's most recent film, debuted on June 24. He next appears in Fukrey 3.