Last updated on: March 16th, 2025
Pankaj Tripathi Biography – A talented actor from Belsand to Wasseypur to the protagonist of Sacred Games!
Family Background of Pankaj Tripathi:
Pankaj Tripathi was born on September 29, 1976, in Belsand village, Gopalganj district, Bihar. His father, Pandit Benaras Tripathi, is a priest and a farmer, while his mother, Hemwanti Devi, is a homemaker.
He has an elder brother and two younger sisters, making him the youngest among them.
Early Life:
He completed his schooling at DPH School and was a talented athlete during his school years. From a young age, Pankaj had a passion for acting, often participating in plays and performances during the Chhath festival.
His father always wanted him to become a doctor, so after completing his schooling, he moved to Patna and pursued science.
During this time, he joined the RSS and later became a leader in ABVP, a student organization.
At one point, he was imprisoned due to a protest he was leading, which led him to spend a few days behind bars. While there, he began reading Hindi literature and developed a deep interest in it.
After his release from jail, he watched a play called Andha Kuaan, which inspired him to pursue acting. He then started learning the fundamentals of theater and later performed in various plays.
Pankaj Being a Chef in Patna to becoming an Actor:
After doing extensive theater in Patna, Pankaj decided to apply to NSD. However, he was not selected on his first attempt. He also failed on his second attempt, after which his uncle suggested he join the FCI to earn good money abroad.
He applied for the FCI and got selected. Later, he joined a hotel in Patna as a trainee, where he also learned to cook some dishes. Although he never got the opportunity to go abroad for better earnings, he decided to try for NSD once again in 2001.
During this time, he married Mridula Tripathi and, coincidentally, qualified for NSD at the same time.
In a TV show, Pankaj Tripathi revealed that, for a while, he and his wife Mridula lived together in NSD’s hostel. However, the hostel warden later asked them to move elsewhere.
In 2004, after completing his training at NSD, he returned to Patna and did theater for a few months. Later, he moved to Mumbai with his wife in search of opportunities in the acting industry.
According to Tripathi, during his struggling days, his wife, Mridula, supported him financially by working as a teacher in a school in Goregaon.
Pankaj Tripathi Biography:
| Pankaj Tripathi’s Profile | |
|---|---|
| Personal Life | |
| Full Name | Pankaj Kumar Tripathi |
| Date of Birth | September 5, 1976 |
| Age | 48 years 6 months (in April, 2025) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Zodiac/Sun Sign | Virgo |
| Hometown | Belsand, Gopalganj, Bihar |
| School | D.P.H. School, Gopalganj |
| College | National School of Drama |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height | 5ft. 10” (1.78 m) (178 cm) |
| Weight | 70 kg (174 lbs) |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Family & Relationships | |
| Father | Pandit Benaras Tripathi |
| Mother | Hemwanti Devi |
| Siblings | 1 Brother & 2 Sisters |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife Occupation | Mridula Tripathi Teacher |
| Children | 1 daughter (Aashi Tripathi) |
| Career | |
| Profession | Acting |
| TV Debut | Zindagi ka har rang…Gulaal |
| Movie Debut (Bollywood) | Run |
| Movie Debut (Telugu) | Doosukeltha |
| Movie Debut (Tamil) | Kaala |
| Movie Debut (Punjabi) | Harjeeta |
Pankaj Tripathi Movies’ Career:
In 2004, Pankaj Tripathi made his Bollywood debut with a guest role in the action-comedy-romance movie “Run”. The film starred Abhishek Bachchan and Bhoomika Chawla, but along with them, Vijay Raaz’s performance was highly applauded by the audience.
Pankaj was the one who asked Vijay (as Ganesh) in the movie to dive into the ‘Chhoti Ganga’.
Later, in 2005, he appeared in Prakash Jha’s directed movie “Apaharan”. He worked with actors like Ajay Devgan and Bipasha Basu in the film.
Tripathi then appeared in several movies including, “Omkara”, “Dharm”, “Aakrosh”, “Shaurya”, “Chillar Party”, and “Agneepath”. Later, he also appeared in movies including “Dabangg 2”, “Rangrezz”, “ABCD”, and “Gunday”. In 2013, he also starred in a Telugu film.
Masaan:
“Masaan”, released in 2015, had an interesting release pattern as it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and in France before its release in India. The film’s main cast included Richa Chadda, Shweta Tripathi, Vicky Kaushal, and Sanjay Mishra.
Alongside those supremely talented actors, Tripathi also appeared in the movie. He had a very short role in the film; however, he still managed to earn applause from the audience in that brief time.
Newton:
Pankaj played the role of Atma Singh in Amit Masurkar’s film “Newton”. He portrayed an Assistant Commandant leading a CRPF team in a Naxal-affected area. Rajkummar Rao played Newton, a government clerk assigned to election duty in the same region.
His performance in “Newton” earned him a National Award. The film also won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.
Tripathi – The ‘Sultan’ of Wasseypur:
On June 22, 2012, “Gangs of Wasseypur – Part 1” was released. It was written, directed, and produced by Anurag Kashyap.
Tripathi played the role of Sultan Qureshi in the movie. Sultan, known for slaughtering sixty buffaloes a day, is a henchman of Ramadhir Singh (Tigmanshu Dhulia). His only purpose is to kill Sardar Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) and his children.
One of his popular dialogues is – “Yeh Wasseypur hai, yahaan Kabootar bhi ek pankh se udta hai aur doosre se apna izzat bachaata hai.” Translated as “This is Wasseypur, here even the pigeon flies with one wing and protects its honor with the other.”
Sultan Qureshi
Pankaj also appeared in the second part of Gangs of Wasseypur. From that point on, he came into the limelight, and his talent was recognized by both the film industry and the public.
In 2020, Pankaj appeared in “Angrezi Medium,” starring Radhika Madan and Irrfan Khan. The same year, he was also seen in movies like “Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl,” “Ludo,” and “Shakeela.”
Post 2020 Movies:
The following year, in 2021, he starred in “Kaagaz,” a ZEE5 film. Then, he appeared in Netflix’s “Mimi.”
He later took on exciting roles in several movies, including “83” (starring Ranveer Singh), “Bunty Aur Babli 2,” “Bachchan Pandey” (2022), and “Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga” (2022).
In 2023, he starred in “OMG 2,” a sequel to the acclaimed “OMG – Oh My God!”
Later that year, he played the role of AK Shrivastav in the thriller “Kadak Singh,” directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury.
Moving into 2024, Tripathi expanded his repertoire with “Murder Mubarak,” a murder mystery directed by Homi Adajania. Released on Netflix in March 2024, the film featured an ensemble cast, including Sara Ali Khan and Karisma Kapoor.
Then, in August 2024, Tripathi reprised his role as Rudra in “Stree 2: Sarkate Ka Aatank,” the sequel to the 2018 hit “Stree.” Directed by Amar Kaushik, the film continued the blend of horror and comedy.
TV Series:
Here’s a list of TV shows he has acted in –
- Time Bomb 9/11 (Zee TV)
- Zindagi Ka Har Rang…Gulaal (aired on Star Plus)
- Powder (Sony TV)
- Sarojini – Ek Nayi Pehal (Zee TV)
Pankaj Tripathi Web Series:
Sacred Games:
“Sacred Games” is a web series based on Vikram Chandra’s novel of the same name. Tripathi played the mysterious character of ‘Guruji’ in the series.
In the second season of “Sacred Games,” his character became central to the story, shaping the narrative in his own style. Both seasons are available to watch on Netflix.
Mirzapur:
In the world of web series, you must be familiar with ‘Kaleen Bhaiya,’ also known as Akhandanand Tripathi. The series was released in 2018 on Amazon Prime.
Tripathi appeared in the series alongside actors like Ali Fazal, Harshita Gaur, and Divyendu. Its second season was released in 2020.
Criminal Justice:
It was released on April 5, 2019. Pankaj played a lawyer in the series who fights the case of a man accused of murder. He starred in all three seasons of the web show.
The series featured actors like Jackie Shroff and Anupriya Goenka. You can binge-watch it on Hotstar.
Later, in April 2020, he appeared in a cameo role in “Extraction,” an action thriller film released on Netflix.
Facts about Pankaj Tripathi:
- Apart from acting, he is also an excellent storyteller.
- He loves to read books.
- Pankaj and his wife, Mridula, have a daughter named Aashi Tripathi.
- He enjoys exploring new things in different places.
- He has some followers in his village who admire him as a Guru.
- Tripathi won the Best Actor iReel Award (2019) and the Indian Television Academy Award (2021) for “Mirzapur.”
Frequently asked questions on Google:
- What is the age of actor Tripathi?
48 years 6 months (in April, 2025)
- Is Shweta Tripathi, daughter of Pankaj Tripathi?
No, she isn’t his daughter.
- Where is the hometown of Pankaj Tripathi?
Belsand, Gopalganj, Bihar.
- Who is the wife of Pankaj Tripathi?
Mridula Tripathi
- Who is the daughter of actor Pankaj Tripathi?
Aashi Tripathi
Social Media Accounts
- Julia Garner
- Hero Fiennes Tiffin
- Rasika Dugal
- Shreya Dhanwanthary
- Bellamkonda Sreenivas
- Kirti Kulhari
I hope you liked the Biography of the talented Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi and if you have any queries regarding this post, let us know in the comment box.
Explore the journey of notable figures through our curated selection of Biographies. If you find it engaging, kindly share it with your social circle. Thank you.
