In his nearly two decade-long film career, Pankaj Tripathi has lived through several moments of success as well as failure and today, he feels, they no longer belong to him. The actor says his journey is now out there inspiring people to trust their dream, follow their passion.

“All the ups and downs of my journey were worth it. Meri journey, success aur failure, mere apne liye hain, but woh motivation aur umeed bahut saare bacchon ko de rahi hai,” admits Tripathi.

There was a time when he made fleeting appearances in films, till he got noticed in Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur (2012). Cut to 2021, he has etched a successful success story on the big screen as well in the OTT space.

“For years, I was fighting a very personal battle for my career, and to make a name as an actor. And my journey and achievements have given a ray of hope to several people out there who now believe that nothing is impossible,” shares the 44-year-old.

The actor has got a new way of looking at his personal struggles. “It was my selfishness to become an actor. But, now I don’t look at it as something which is personal. Jis tarah mujhe bahut saare actors aur logon ki journey ne inspire kiya tha, waise ab meri journey doosron ko inspire kar rahi hai,” says the actor, who has films such as ’83, Bunty Aur Babli 2 and Mimi lined up.

Over the years, as he collected several experiences, he also gathered lots of learnings, which he says can fill a 300-page book. “It’s very difficult to bring out the gist. But if I’ve to say one, it would be to always keep the hope within you alive. Sab kuch hota hai, bas waqt lagta hai,” he muses.

Today, Tripathi doesn’t belong to any particular box, nor does he come with the conventional idea of a hero or a villain. Yet, he’s one of the most bankable stars in Hindi cinema. In fact, when the pandemic brought the world to a standstill last year, Tripathi continued to entertain the audience with his diverse projects, such as Mirzapur 2, Ludo, Extraction, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors and Kaagaz.

But when it comes to failure or success, he doesn’t fret over either. “I’m detached from it. I do things for my happiness... jaise apni beti ke saath shaam ko ghar ke paas ek shaant se beach pe sunset dekhne jana. Main woh karta hoon jo mujhe mere liye important lagta hai. Isiliye, mujhe success aur failure se bahut zyada asar nahi hota,” says Tripathi, adding he ensures he spends such moments with his family whenever he gets the time.