Pankaj Tripathi was a force to be reckoned with when he arrived as the silent but ruthless 'Kaleen Bhaiya' in 'Mirzapur'. While Tripathi might have been a part of several good projects like – 'Newton', 'Masaan', 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' and 'Sacred Games'; but it was his menacing and powerful role in 'Mirzapur' that made offered him a pedestal. He not only carved a niche for himself with his 'neck' acting but also set a milestone that had no other match.
Audience feared his onscreen silence and trembled at his roars. His lips remained silent and his neck did all the talking. Not just fans and followers, even Bollywood celebs and TV personalities couldn't stop going gaga over him. Touted as the man who had set a new benchmark in the field of acting, Pankaj was also compared to the late Irrfan Khan for the authenticity he brought into his acts.
But, with time, not only has his acting become monotonous but even repetitive. As a die-hard fan of Pankaj Tripathi, it saddens me to say that the 'Criminal Justice' actor has become quite predictable. His 'natural' style of acting, especially in the latest season of 'Criminal Justice' seemed quite mundane.
Pankaj Tripathi had once said in an interview that directors ask him, "tum apna wala kuch kar dena (you do something in your style)." And now, this 'apna wala' acting doesn't seem to be able to make the cut anymore.
With shows like – 'Mirzapur' and 'Criminal Justice', Pankaj Tripathi might have become a household name; but it has also instilled the grains of a certain natural but overdone style of acting that does little to surprise us. Pankaj was again brilliant in the latest season of 'Criminal Justice' but our heart longed to see him do something different; some unique quirk or some new antic; that could make us say – Yes! That's the Pankaj Tripathi we are a fan of!
Every actor needs to challenge oneself in terms of roles and style of acting to prevent getting tiresome. And with the release of 'Metro...In Dino', we sincerely hope that we get to see the Pankaj Tripathi who ate everyone else in the frame and left no crumbs!
