Pankaj Tripathi is celebrated as much for his acting style as for his deeply rooted off-screen personality. Raised in the village of Belsand in Bihar, the actor’s farming background continues to shape his connection with the environment.

On World Environment Day today, the 49-year-old says the biggest reminder from Nature is simple: “We are a part of Nature, but we have started believing that we are Nature’s maalik! Jo ki sach nahin hai, aur prakriti humko jhatka dekar sachet karti rehti hai ki sudhar jao!”

Tripathi shares that his resolve to minimise his carbon footprint came during the filming of Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga (2022) on location in jungles. Now, he has made it a part of his daily routine.

“During my entire schedule, I cook my own food in vanity — dal, chawal, aur sabji dalkar khichdi — and treat my fellow actors, too. I use steel tiffin and bottle, store water in an earthen pot, and avoid plastic as much as possible. I avoid branded clothes, except when playing a character, and prefer wearing khadi, handloom and handicraft clothes,” he says.

While he admits that one person can only make a little bit of a difference, Tripathi insists that it is a starting point: “My team and people around me take inspiration. If we all start individually, change will surely happen. I have very high hopes for our younger generation.”