Acting over politics

Actor Pankaj Tripathi on Wednesday launched the trailer of his upcoming film Main Atal Hoon, which revolves around the life of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

During the trailer launch, he opened up about his interest in politics and how he prepared for Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s biopic. He also recalled a funny anecdote from his college days when he joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

“I was in a youth wing. I have participated in andolans. I was even jailed for a week! Toh main uss raaste pe nikal chuka tha. Then I realised that the path of politics is full of thorns. Hence, I took a turn and started developing an interest in street theatre. There was Kalidas Rangalaya, Patna, where I enroled myself. Mujhe laga ki yeh behtar hai. Yahaan kam se kam bol ke acting hoti hai ki ‘main acting kar raha hoon’,” Pankaj quipped.

The film Main Atal Hoon is directed by Ravi Jadhav and will be released on January 19, 2024. Pankaj said he was honoured to bring Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s story to silver screen.

“More than the film, the journey of playing Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee is really close to my heart. The man is truly a legend, and we are honoured to bring his inspiring story to the world. I hope audiences appreciate our efforts to bring in the legacy of Atal ji onto the big screens,” he said. The film is backed by Bhanushali Studios Limited and Legend Studios, among others.