He has been acting in Bollywood for 14 years now but it was in the last couple of years that Pankaj Tripathi finally tasted success and the actor says the new found fame is good but is nothing more than an "illusion".
Since making his debut in "Run" in 2004, Tripathi has acted in many films and has received critical acclaim for his performance in movies such as "Apaharan", "Omkara", "Gangs of Wasseypur" series and "Nil Battey Sanaata".
And by doing author-backed roles in mainstream hits like "Dabangg 2", "Fukrey", "Gunday", "Singham Returns", "Bareilly ki Barfi" and "Fukrey Returns", he also won audiences' hearts.
In an interview with PTI, Tripathi spoke about new-found fame, how the success changed the outlook of industry people towards him, the increasing number of offers and his priorities in life.
"Fame is nice but it is also an illusion. May be, it won't be there 10 years later. I won't lose my mind now that I have fame, nor will I lose myself once it goes away.
"I am a Sufi guy, so, fame is maya for me, a worldly illusion. I just need good scripts, good films and I am glad I am doing them," he says.
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The same mindset, coupled with patience, kept him going in the initial years of his career when he had to make peace with minuscule roles in films.
"I come from the family of farmers. I am a son of a farmer. When we sow seeds we wait for six months. All we can do is give it a favourable condition to flourish, save it from the storm.
"So patience is inherent in me. I never had a problem with the waiting period. I was never disappointed, never thought of giving up even once."
"It was meant to happen this way."
"The perception of the industry has changed tremendously. I have now been offered 30-35 scripts, every second director wants to work with me. They have started to take me more seriously as an actor."
"If there are no dates what can one do? I try and tell them politely that I just can't do it."
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