Pankaj Tripathi had “fewer” releases this year, such as Kaagaz, Mimi and Bunty Aur Babli 2, compared to 2020, when he had six projects released. “Since the last few years, I’ve been on auto-pilot mode in life,” says the actor, talking about his schedule. He adds, “Though like many other people, we all dealt with the pandemic and had our struggles. This year, too, I have been shooting all year. I have reduced my working hours now as I realise I am doing too much work. I am planning to take a break soon, once I wrap up my current projects.”

Next year, he has a “couple of films and a few web shows” lined up, including Criminal Justice 2, Oh My God! 2 and Srijit Mukerji’s Sherdil. Admitting that he is working too much, he says, “Bahut jyada kaam kar raha hoon. I wonder why I am doing so much. At times, I do get the feeling that maybe I need to take it slower. In dino, mere andar ka actor bechain ho raha hai. I think it is because I am unable to say no to friends, or at times, the project and role offered are just fabulous, so I don’t want to let them go. In fact, at times, I keep taking on stuff till all the dates in my diary are booked. But I am trying to learn to say no.” 

Looking back at 2021, Tripathi is glad that he got a chance to “explore and reinvent” this year. “All the roles were varied, and I enjoyed shooting for each project,” he concludes.