Why Pankaj Tripathi would choose Criminal Justice's Madhav Mishra over Mirzapur's Kaleen Bhaiya today; find out
Pankaj Tripathi recalls arriving in Mumbai with Rs. 46,000, staying with Bhanu Uday. He now backs his Criminal Justice role, citing strong scripting and audience engagement with weekly episodes.
Last Updated: 01.01 PM, Jun 14, 2025
Pankaj Tripathi discussed his early challenges and current endeavours in an open discussion with Sonal Kalra, Chief Managing Editor – Entertainment & Lifestyle at Hindustan Times. The actor also made a humorous yet revealing choice in response to a hypothetical inquiry. This interview took place during "On Call With..." on Sonal Kalra's weekly show, The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra.
Nostalgic glimpse into Pankaj Tripathi’s early struggles in Mumbai
Looking back on his early days in Mumbai, Tripathi remembered exactly how much money he had on hand when he came to the city to pursue acting. He revealed, "I had Rs. 46,000 in my pocket; I brought it from my village. I stayed with my friend Bhanu Uday Goswami—he’s an actor and my backmate from NSD—for the first two months. After that, I rented my own place."
The conversation took a playful turn when Kalra asked him a hypothetical question: if he was driving and four characters from his shows—Gangs of Wasseypur, Mirzapur, Criminal Justice, and Stree—asked for a lift but he had room for only one, whom would he choose?
Criminal Justice gets the spotlight
Tripathi responded, "At this moment, the current project that is running is Madhav Mishra from Criminal Justice, so I’d give him the lift. The fourth episode is currently streaming and the fifth will come next Thursday. So the preference naturally goes to the one that’s on air."
Speaking on the reactions of viewers to the new season of Criminal Justice, the actor shared his thoughts on the show's weekly update. Tripathi shared, "The scripting is really good this time. A lot of people are engaged and also upset because it’s coming out weekly. But they are very engaged and waiting for the episodes."
Why Pankaj Tripathi's heart lies with Madhav Mishra right now
The actor's decision to support Madhav Mishra, his sincere and frequently underdog lawyer from the Criminal Justice series, rather than more famous roles such as Kaleen Bhaiya (Mirzapur) or the butcher Sultan (Gangs of Wasseypur), demonstrates how actors are frequently most connected to their current projects, even if their previous roles have garnered them widespread renown.
Fans of Criminal Justice: A Family Matter are just as invested, engaged, and eager for what's to come as Tripathi is, as the show unfolds episode by episode on JioHotstar.