Actor Pankaj Tripathi never misses a chance to remember and thank the industry veterans who have helped him hone his craft. “I’ve taken acting lessons from many seniors, such as (actors) Naseer Sahab (Naseeruddin Shah), Manoj Bajpayee, Piyush Mishra, the late Om Puri sir and Irrfan,” says the actor, who recently hosted an acting workshop in Mumbai, conducted by his teacher from National School of Drama, Delhi.

“As actors, we barely get to revisit the basics of acting. The whole purpose of the workshop was to brush up on the skills and revisit the art,” he tells us.

Tripathi, known for his roles in Mirzapur and Mimi (2021), doles out some advice for budding actors: “Lakeer ke fakeer mat bano. Don’t be rigid with your thoughts and opinions, particularly when it comes to the craft of acting. And, ensure that glamour and success are not the sole purpose of doing it.”

The 46-year-old feels that actors must constantly evolve and unlearn. “It’d be wrong to say that I know all about acting. We are all students of cinema and the process of learning never ends,” shares Tripathi, who will be seen in the film OMG 2 and season three of the web show Mirzapur soon.