Pankaj Tripathi recalls judging female NSD batchmate for smoking, admits he didn’t think the same about a man: ‘I was doing something wrong’

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains references to cigarette smoking.Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who made his Bollywood debut in the 2004 film ‘Run’ and rose to fame with ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ in 2012, has delivered memorable performances in films and web series such as ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Stree’, ‘OMG 2’, ‘Masaan’, and ‘Criminal Justice’. Known for his acting prowess, Tripathi has now stepped into production as well.Tripathi recently presented the web series ‘Perfect Family’, which premiered on YouTube. The show explores therapy, mental health, and personal growth. In an interview with Hindustan Times to mark its release, Tripathi spoke about the series, his journey, and personal realisations.As a creative professional, Tripathi says he did not turn to production for money but for stories that matter. He explains, “Content matters; the story does! Even in this (show), na maine ek rupaya lagaya hai, na main ek rupaya profit ka loonga isse (I have neither invested anything in it, nor will I take a single rupee of profit from this). Ajay Rai, my old friend and producer from Gangs of Wasseypur, has made this. I came on board to present it after he showed me two episodes. I felt this was a good story that needed to be told.” Tripathi admitted that talking about therapy and hypersensitivity in mainstream media is important. He explained, “I grew up in the village. Half my life has been spent there. The environment, way of thinking, and upbringing create a distinct kind of person. When I came to Delhi and Mumbai, I was the same. If someone talked about this, I would dismiss it as ‘faltu ki baat’, would tell them ‘do thappad lagega, theek ho jaoge (you’ll be ok if you get two slaps)’. I may have said something dismissive, because I used to think this was all rubbish. I assumed that only those who have it all have mental illnesses. But no, this can happen to the rich and the poor, the successful and the failures.”The actor further added that learning to accept new perspectives has made him a better person. He shared, “When I first came to Delhi, I must have seen a female batchmate smoking and made an impression of her in my mind. But then I realised, if I watch a man smoke a cigarette, I don’t form that same image about his character. So, I was doing something wrong.”Created by Palak Bhambri, ‘Perfect Family’ tells the story of a dysfunctional urban family forced into therapy when their issues begin to affect their youngest member, a nine-year-old hypersensitive girl. The series stars Gulshan Devaiah, Girija Oak, Neha Dhupia, Manoj Pahwa, and Seema Pahwa.