After nine months of non-stop shoots, Pankaj Tripathi is en joying watching his daughter paint, play and cooking her favourite meals; says he is optimistic the crisis will pass
Hiren Kotwani (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 25, 2020)

“What is this life if full of care, We have no time to stand and stare…” The poem, Leisure, by William Henry Davies could well sum up how many of us have been going about our daily lives of late. Pankaj Tripathi had been working for nine months without a break and the shutdown following the Coronavirus outbreak has come as a welcome change. The actor, who moved into a sea-facing apartment in Madh Island a while ago, is getting to see his new home in a different light at different times and from different angles. Asked if he feels restless to be not doing anything after working at a hectic pace all these months, Pankaj says, “No, not at all. I’m getting to spend time with my family. I take my 13-year-old daughter, Aashi, down for cycling, then, my wife and I take her down to play in the garden. I’m happy to see people in their balconies. Usually, in many parts of Mumbai, people switch on the lights only late at night when they get home from work, so, it’s nice to see the houses light up in the evening.”

The actor acknowledges that these are difficult times, but asserts that this too shall pass. “The government, medical professionals and essential workers are working hard to ensure people stay healthy and safe. Everyone is taking care of personal hygiene, we shall overcome this and our life will get back to normalcy soon,” he avers optimistically.

Pankaj, who plays the guitar and violin “in masti” for his daughter, and has always wanted to learn a rhythm instrument, rues that since movement is restricted now as a precautionary measure, it’s difficult to get someone to come over and teach him. “But I can cook, I don’t need anyone for that,” he points out.

The actor has worked as a professional cook at a hotel for two years, between 1998 and 1999. Recently, the doting dad made Ethiopian dal for his daughter, and one of her favourites, chokha (also known as aaloo bharta), a Bihari delicacy. It’s obvious that these days the actor’s world revolves around Aashi. Pankaj enjoys watching her sketch and paint. “Actors, because of their hectic schedules, often don’t get to see the sun rise or set. But now, I’m watching the sunset every evening and gazing at the night sky, dazzling with stars and streaked with silvery moonlight, because those are the subjects of Aashi’s paintings,” he shares.

Pankaj, who recently completed Dinesh Vijan’s Mimi, in which he plays Kriti Sanon’s father, reiterated the need to keep a safe distance from the outside world to stay healthy. “There is no need to panic, just be aware and take care.”
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What is Ethiopian Dal?

Pankaj says, “I discovered Ethiopian Dal while travelling to South Africa on Ethiopian Airlines. I asked the staff about it and looked it up online later. It’s quite like our red masoor and chana dal, only they add a dash of Ethiopian chilly to it.” Revealing his recipe, he shares, “I make it like the Punjabi dal tadka, with fresh tomato paste, onion, garlic, green chillies, cumin and all Indian spices. Since we don’t have the Ethiopian chillies, we use our jwala and bullet, found in the North-East, as also Sikkim and Darjeeling. We grow jwala in flower-pots at our home.”