Pankaj Tripathi: If today people call me by my characters’ names, I like it more

Pankaj Tripathi has progressed from being just another face on screen to actually carrying the entire movie on his shoulders. However, the actor admits that being recognised simply as his character wasn't always a pleasant experience.

During an interaction with Hindustan Times, Tripathi said that he prefers it when people call him by the names of his characters today. However, six to seven years ago, the actor would feel uncomfortable that people didn't know his name. "Aap actor hai, uss film mein Sultan ka role kiya tha," they'd say. Tripathi always wished they knew his name, and today, everyone knows his name, but they adore his characters so much that they call him by those names on purpose.

Tripathi considers this his greatest accomplishment to date. 

There must be a lot of strange fan encounters now that he has a large fan base. The actor recalled that every year on his birthday, there's a fan who plants trees. Then there was another, whom he met while filming Fukrey 3 in Delhi. The fan was yelling for two to three hours about how much of a fan he was. However, they are not permitted to take photographs while dressed as the character in case the look is leaked. Tripathi later received a handwritten note addressed to him.

When someone waits for him, the actor feels awful. He said, "Bura lagta hai, uska baad bhi tasveer nahi khincha sakta." He is surprised that he has fans of all ages, from an eight-year-old youngster to a senior citizen.

With everything going his way, Tripathi was asked what his biggest challenge now was, to which he claimed it was the weight of expectations that he now believes he is carrying. The actor went on to say that uss trust ko barkaraar rakhun, login ki ummeedein badh gayi hain. People tell him they listen to him and watch his interviews on YouTube. The actor becomes emotional about the respect he has been receiving from people.

The actor will next be seen in Fukrey 3, and he has been shooting for the same.