Pankaj Tripathi

Komal RJ Panchal (MID-DAY; July 21, 2026)

Some films are worth far more than the paycheque they bring. For Pankaj Tripathi, Ohh My Dog is one such project. The actor did not charge a fee for the July 31 release, choosing instead to support the film because of his long friendship with director Amit Rai.

Tripathi told mid-day, “Ajay Rai, the producer, and Amit Rai are old friends of mine. Commercial films are made with the support of money, but for independent and small films where the story is important, who will support them if not actors like us?”

Ohh My Dog tells the story of a young girl who forms a special connection with a stray dog. When Amit first narrated the movie to Tripathi, the actor was overjoyed for two reasons — it was not only a heart-warming tale of unconditional love, but would also be shot in his home state.

“The story is set in Bihar. Amit asked me to shoot for four days, and I told him I would come for six. I also called my friends in Bihar and we supported the film in every way. Eventually, I stayed for seven days.” 

Tripathi plays a teacher in the movie, which is led by child actor Maahi Rai and stars Pawan Malhotra and Rajesh Sharma. The actors form the supporting cast. That’s how it should be, asserted Tripathi. “The main story is about a dog and a child. We are all in supporting roles, but in reality, we are supporting the film itself.”

And it’s something he would gladly do again for Rai, with whom he collaborated on OMG 2 (2023). “That’s when we became friends. It remains one of the special movies in my filmography.”
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Onkar Kulkarni (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 24, 2026)

When filmmaker Amit Rai revealed that Pankaj Tripathi agreed to star in his upcoming film Ohh My Dog without charging a fee, it quickly became one of the most talked-about aspects of the project. For Pankaj, however, the decision had little to do with business and everything to do with friendship.

The actor, who shares a long-standing bond with Amit after working together on OMG 2, says there was never any discussion about remuneration before he came on board. “In friendship, you don’t ask all this. You just ask, ‘How many days of mine do you want?’ and I shot for those days. I only asked him to share the dates with me. I even told the director and the team, ‘Don’t include me in the promotions also,” he said.

Asked whether he is now at a stage in his career where he can afford to work without charging a fee, and he said, “I feel if this film works and makes business at the box office, then they will give me something in return. Let’s see.”

Pankaj is also looking ahead to another first in his career. Mirzapur, the series that made his portrayal of Kaleen Bhaiya a cultural phenomenon, is now being adapted into a feature film — the first Indian OTT franchise to make that transition.

Looking back, the actor says the possibility never crossed his mind while shooting the show. “I never thought, when I was doing Season 2, that a film would be made. There was no such concept that a web series would become a film. Mirzapur in India proved to be pathbreaking that way,” he signed off.