Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 13, 2020)

For someone who has remained elusive on social media for the longest time, Pankaj Tripathi has evidently taken to it well. Weeks into the Coronavirus lockdown, the actor kick-started a Facebook live series where he narrated some heartfelt slice-of-life stories based on his own experiences.

Over the weeks, the video has been watched by many of his fans, who love him as he is one of the most well-spoken and articulate actors, says a source, adding “Tripathi is a common man’s success story and his stories have a familiar quality to them that resonates with all. It’s surprising to see him take the leap to social media, a platform he strategically stayed away from for the longest part of his career. In fact, he started his Instagram page earlier this year because someone was posting fake messages through a fake account and it became absolutely essential for him to put an official word out there. Interestingly, Tripathi has now been enjoying interacting directly with fans.”

Talking about his experience, the actor shares, “Every platform has its pros and cons. I had assumed that the chaos of social media will consume so much of my mind space that it will make me focus on irrelevant things. But ever since the lockdown was announced, and I started my series, I’ve found a different side of social media. I’ve been interacting with cinephiles and film buffs, who have given me some interesting feedback on my work as well. On the live sessions, I have been seeing more and more viewers who want to discuss art and stories. I was unaware of this side of the world and have finally realised what it means when we say technology has made the world a smaller place. And I can assuredly say, it’s not at all bad. I’ve been enjoying talking to people from all walks of life and have realised the far-reaching impact of art. It, in fact, makes me want to work harder and be part of more stories that leave an indelible mark on people.”

Pankaj Tripathi compelled to join Instagram after fake handle's post lands him in trouble
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 18, 2019)

Fans of Pankaj Tripathi were surprised when he joined Instagram over the weekend. But the actor says the move was borne out of sheer necessity. "There were umpteen fake accounts under my name. [Things came to a head when] one of the accounts posted an inappropriate picture that was picked up by portals," recounts Tripathi, referring to a picture that saw him pose with Vicky Kaushal, Rajkummar Rao and Manoj Bajpayee.

The caption — that alluded to them being the new-age actors of Bollywood — created a furore on social media, with users trolling him for not including female actors in the self-proclaimed esteemed bracket. "That picture became a news item, much to my dismay. I couldn't report the fake account because I wasn't on Instagram," he says, adding that the episode stayed on his mind for months and led him to open a verified account.