Pankaj Tripathi opens up about Bollywood’s disconnect with the audience: ‘There is no magic in cinema anymore…’

Pankaj pointed out that the cinema of the 90s and before had a sense of magic to it. “We were seeing characters walk and talk on screen, and felt connected to them. We laughed with them. We cried with them. But now, there is no magic anymore. Audience are looking for relatability, and they need a sense of connectivity with the character. They are in a quest for rootedness, which they are not quite getting anymore,” said the Mirzapur actor, who also pointed out how his film Bareilly Ki Barfi returned to the big screen recently, and won hearts all over again. “Rooted stories are of utmost importance. If Hindi cinema cuts off from its roots, then it is always going to be a problem.”

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When asked about what he thought of his Gangs of Wasseypur director Anurag Kashyap’s recent comments about Bollywood, especially the issue of not encouraging originality, and going behind profit margins and tried-and-tested templates, Pankaj Tripathi asserted his complete acceptance of this assessment. “After Stree, look at the number of horror comedies that got made. After a point, people will neither get scared nor will they laugh,” pointed out Pankaj, who went on to compare it with the spate of item songs that ruled the roost in Hindi cinema. “When I asked why there were so many of them, the filmmakers said that they were adhering to the public demand. But… which public sits and writes letters to them demanding the inclusion of such songs? It is all the makers’ decision to go behind what they think is the formula for success. If there is no space for experimentation, people will get bored very easily,” said the actor.

In fact, taking the example of his own career, Pankaj argued, “At least once every week, I get a character like Mirzapur’s Kaleen Bhaiyya. But why would I want to do similar characters when I am already in the fourth season of the series. It is like makers want to milk a cow till it doesn’t turn back and kick them away.”

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Pankaj Tripathi at Expresso.

The six-part Indian Express series Expresso, which features insightful conversations with experts from the world of entertainment, luxury, art and culture, has seen guests like Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, Taapsee Pannu, Imtiaz Ali, Javed Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Kajol and Kriti Sanon.