Pankaj Tripathi reacts to Pankaj Jha’s accusations of him glamourising his struggles, says he never pretended to be homeless

Ace actor Pankaj Tripathi recently reacted to Panchayat star Pankaj Jha’s allegations that he romanticized being an outsider and attempted to whitewash his struggles. The Mirzapur actor had always been open about struggling to get acting projects and steady work in Bollywood, and how his wife decided to be the bread winner for the time being while he hustled in the city of dreams.

In an interview with India Today, the 'Main Atal Hoon' actor contested Jha, in a dignified manner. "I never romanticised my journey or struggles. Yes, I did mention that my wife used to earn while I looked for work. I never said that I would tie a gamcha (towel) on my waist and sleep outside Andheri station. I had a good and happy life when we moved to Mumbai. I have never tried to glamorise or seek sympathy from it," he stated.

The actor maintained that everybody’s struggles and journey to success are different and taking issues with someone’s personal narrative is meaningless. “We live our own journeys and fight our own battles. When you read or hear these stories, some may get inspired. And even if they don't, that's not an issue. One has just to live their own lives the way they want." he told India Today.

Earlier, Jha expressed his dislike for the term "struggle." He cited an example from when Tripathi recounted a story about actor Manoj Bajpayee's slippers to illustrate how actors often glamorize their hardships. Tripathi once narrated this incident on The Kapil Sharma Show, sharing that during his time working at a hotel, Manoj Bajpayee stayed as a guest and left his slippers behind. Being a fan, Tripathi took the slippers home as a keepsake.

On the work front, Tripathi reprised his role of Kaleen Bhaiyya, the dreaded gangster in the third season of Mirzapur. The latest season of ‘Mirzapur’ will begin streaming on Prime Video on July 5.