Pankaj Tripathi to get Diversity in Cinema award at IFFM

Pankaj Tripathi, who is known to bring something new with each of his onscreen outings, will be honoured for adding these myriad shades of versatility with Diversity in Cinema Award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).

“I am truly honoured and equally humbled to receive this award and it makes me very happy that such a prestigious film festival has recognised my work,” says Tripathi, who would join the list of celebs Frieda Pinto, Fawad Khan, and Onir, previous recipients of this award.

For the actor, the award doesn’t come with any pressure but more responsibility to keep doing better. “My intent is to perform to the best of my capabilities, and I am so grateful that my performances are appreciated by the audience,” he shares.

Tripathi has also been nominated for the Best Performance (Male) in the film category for Ludo and for the Best Performance (Male) in series for Mirzapur 2. His short film Laali has also made it to the festival this year.

The 44-year-old expresses his gratitude to OTT platforms for giving his work global recognition. “Mere liye yeh brilliant and humble karne wala experience. I had never thought that an actor like me would reach over 250 countries, be it Australia, US or UK. Now, we also get feedback through social media, like I just got a message from Italy about loving Mimi,” he adds.

The award will be presented on August 20 by filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who directed him in Gangs of Wasseypur. The film turned around Tripathi’s career, bringing the focus on his acting skills, which he went on to show in projects such as Mirzapur, Ludo, Sacred Games and Newton.

Talking about the honour, the festival’s director Mitu Bhowmick Lange says, “With his acting prowess and unsurpassed talent, he makes every character riveting. IFFM has always stood for diversity through cinema and Pankaj Tripathi is an embodiment of the same. He plays diverse roles with such finesse making him perfect for this award.”