Over the past few years, Pankaj Tripathi has gotten increasingly prolific. The actor who erupted on the scene with Gangs of Wasseypur (although he had been acting for a while before that) has seen a steady, impressive rise in his career since then.
In 2019 alone, Tripathi had as many as 5 releases.
As of October 2020, Tripathi has appeared in Angrezi Medium and Gunjan Saxena with a part in the Chris Hemsworth starring Extraction as well.
He’ll next be seen in Amazon Prime Video’s Mirzapur Season 2.
Over a Zoom call, Tripathi mentioned that his packed schedule hasn’t allowed him the time to catch up on a lot of films and TV shows that have dropped online but provided with a list of films he wants everybody with a broadband connection to watch.
1. Gamak Ghar - Mubi
Achal Mishra’s debut feature is a nostalgic portrait of the director’s own childhood, the time he spent growing up in the family home in Darbhanga, Bihar and how the house, a character in itself, witnesses and endures two decades of change, transition and abandonment. “The film reminded me of my own past. It felt so personal, I was moved to tears. Everybody should watch the film because it will remind them of their own experiences,” Tripathi said.
2. Rubaru Roshni - Netflix/Hotstar
“I saw this film last year but it still feels fresh in my mind. It’s quite a powerful film,” Tripathi says about this anthology documentary directed by Svati Chakravarty Bhatkal and produced by Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan. The film chronicles the first-person accounts of people who’ve been either perpetrators or the victims of violence.
In an interview, the director spoke about the difficulties in putting the film together. “All three were emotionally really difficult. I couldn’t really afford to cry during the interviews but there were times that I couldn’t stop the tears.”
3. Court
Chaitanya Tamhane’s powerful debut about a protest singer’s trial in a Mumbai sessions court looked at the absurdity of India’s legal system while also making a powerful comment on the vulnerabilities of dissenting voices. “It’s perhaps one of the best films I’ve seen and I absolutely cannot wait to watch Tamhane’s next film, The Disciple. which has earned so much love at Venice,” Tripathi said. Read our interview with the director here.
4. Thithi - Netflix
Raam Reddy’s Kannada film won over critics when it premiered at the Locarno Film Festival where it won the Golden Leopard in the “Filmmakers of the Present” category in 2015. The dark comedy has since travelled to various festivals and also won the National Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada in 2016. “It’s a special film that has a very universal message and ought to be seen,” said Tripathi.
5. Chauthi Koot - Netflix
Gurvinder Singh’s film wowed the audience at the Cannes Film Festival where it was selected in the Un Certain regard category. It also won the Silver Screen Award at the Singapore International Film Festival for Best Asian Feature Film in 2015. Set against the backdrop of the Sikh secessionist movement of the turbulent 80s, Chauthi Koot is a compelling drama you don’t want to miss.