Pankaj Tripathi insists on talking in Hindi. It’s not that he doesn’t know English; he simply prefers to communicate in Hindi. The actor is quick to refute the idea that success in life is impossible for someone who does not speak English.

“That’s the colonial mindset, especially in north India,” he says, explaining, “Mindset is that ‘agar success paani hai, toh aapko angrezi aani chahiye, varna failure ho jaaoge’. English elite ki bhaasha samajh baithe, jabki woh toh colonial language hai. Cool aur educated lagne ke liye voh maap-dand ban gaya hai. People think ‘Angrezi bol raha hai, padha-likha hoga’.”

The 46-year-old, who made his debut in the Hindi film industry in 2004 with the film, Run, goes on, “Language is only a mode of communication, not a parameter of how much knowledge one has. Woh hangover hat jaana chahiye.”

Ask the Mimi (2021) actor what the scenario is like in the industry, as in, do people speak in Hindi or English on sets, and which language does he get scripts in, and he shares that he has never been made to feel awkward about choosing to speak in Hindi.

“I can’t generalise and say everyone speaks Hindi, but the majority do. Two-three percent, who belong to important departments on a set, speak in English. Earlier, I’d get my scripts in English, and I wasn’t in a position to ask for them in only Hindi. So, I’d write all my dialogues in that, as it is easier for me to memorize. Today, I only get my scripts in Hindi,” ends the National Award-winning actor.

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Pankaj Tripathi's command over Hindi is evident in his effortless delivery of dialogues. Those who have worked with the actor will tell you that he insists on scripts being given to him written in Devanagari. Vocal about his love for the language, Tripathi was chosen to host a conversation with Prasoon Joshi, lyricist and chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification, to mark Hindi Diwas yesterday.

The Hindi Diwas Samaroh Second Akhil Bhartiya Rajbhasha Sammelan, which took place in Surat, was organized by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Department of Official Language.

The chat revolved around the evolution of Hindi over the centuries, and encouraging the youth to embrace the language. The duo also discussed the changing vocabulary of Hindi dialogues in cinema. For Tripathi, it was a joy to celebrate the language and its legacy.

He says, “Hindi is a beautiful language with a vast history. We, as Indians, should take pride in it. While it’s good to learn about western culture, it is also important to know one’s own history and language. In our movies too, you can see a huge difference between the language used earlier and now.”

The event was also attended by Mahesh Manjrekar and Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi.