00:00 It's not written on our foreheads that we are talented.
00:02 We will know talent only when we get a proper role.
00:05 We have done that work, we have shown that character to the world.
00:08 If we repeat that, people will get bored of me very soon.
00:12 Nowadays everyone wants that when I come home, my wife surprises me by doing something like this at home.
00:17 I think I don't want to be trending, I want to be memorable.
00:21 I want to be memorable.
00:22 Welcome Mr. Pankaj.
00:32 I don't think you need any praise, just tell that he is Mr. Pankaj.
00:37 You had done a TV serial long back, the name of the serial was Powder.
00:43 We would like to know about that.
00:46 It was a very good serial, I liked 2-3 of my works, one of them was Powder, the name of the character was Navejan Sari.
00:53 I have a habit, I want to make every character very human.
00:57 That was Don, he was a very layering character, he had many layers.
01:02 His modus operandi was different, how he operates his business.
01:06 That role was very close to me, I enjoyed doing Powder.
01:12 He is my favourite director, who had made Powder, Yasraj had produced it.
01:16 At one time, you had done 3 different roles, one was of Munna Michael, in which you were a modern type.
01:22 Second was of Bareilly, in which you were a silent father.
01:26 And the third film was different, which was Gurgaon, I think it was shot at the same time.
01:31 At one time, did you manage properly?
01:34 Yes, it happens, because it is a long experience.
01:39 The challenge for me was, I had become a caring father in Bareilly's Barfi.
01:43 I used to come to Mumbai after 3 days of shooting, I was teasing the heroine in Munna Michael.
01:47 And I became the father of the heroine.
01:50 I used to enjoy, what a chance this is, I am a father of a heroine, and I am teasing her.
01:55 We had a few scenes with Nidhi, in Munna Michael.
01:58 They are doing action, flying on a cable, and there they are doing this and that.
02:05 So, it is fun to get such interesting work, the excitement increases, and you feel, what can we do better?
02:12 Plus, this is a long process.
02:16 We have been working on our craft for many years.
02:19 We have been training for drama school, theater.
02:22 And still, I sit in the bathroom, and I have a character in my mind, which is still going on.
02:33 There was a time, when you had to go to ask for work.
02:36 But now, the situation has changed, you might tell someone, "No, I am busy, please cancel it".
02:43 Of course, we have seen that time, when we used to wait for the phone, our mobile phones didn't work for 2-3 days.
02:49 So, it seemed like there was a tower, we used to keep the phone in the window, where the entire network used to come.
02:54 So that no call gets missed, if someone has to cast, and it is not reachable.
03:00 Now, of course, the phone starts ringing more, and to attend the call, someone has to keep the phone.
03:05 How much will I talk? Will I focus on the scene, or attend the call?
03:09 Now, I think, people used to say, "That guy has become a star, he doesn't pick up the phone now".
03:14 I am understanding the pain of that, that if I pick up all my phones, then I won't be able to work that day.
03:20 I know that, yes, after getting free at night, we will call back those who were there.
03:26 So, of course, the situation has come, that earlier I used to look for work, now work is looking for me.
03:31 Let's cancel it now.
03:33 We have to do it, how can a person do 10 films?
03:36 There is a time limit, nothing can be done in the same time.
03:39 So, whatever feels better in that given time, that…
03:42 Sir, you have two different memories. One is the film "Rang" by Shri Didi, and the other is Sanjay Dutt's film "Sarak".
03:50 Pankaj ji is connected to this film in a different way. What connection do you want to know?
03:55 I was not a fan of Bollywood, I was a fan of Sanju baba, it was during the time of "Sarak" by Sajan, I used to study in Patna.
04:01 So, for a few days, I also grew my hair like baba, and kept a little "how" and "bhaabhi" like that.
04:07 I was only influenced by him, not by any other hero, but Sanju baba.
04:11 And I had a stick, in fact, I went to buy a ticket for "Sarak" in Regent Cinema, Patna, and at that time, there were a lot of black tickets, there was no multiplex and all.
04:20 It was in 1993-94, I had a stick, I told baba one day…
04:25 Because of you, you had to use a stick?
04:27 Yes, in fact, in the name too, he had sent a letter before, so I used a stick in the street to buy a black ticket, and I didn't get the ticket that day.
04:36 And the film "Rang" by Shri Didi, is there any connection with that?
04:39 I was a fan of her, because I told her, there was a film "Vakht Ki Awaaz" with Mithun da, "Guru, Guru, Ajao Guru", she used to dance very well.
04:48 And the first film I did, I got a seat in Delhi, so the paycheck I got, it had her signature on it.
04:54 So I thought, wow, I was a fan of hers, she sent me money.
04:58 So, this is it, nothing special.
05:00 If we talk about your career from the start, I had introduced you a little in "Omkara", from Omkara to Akrosh,
05:06 but the change after "Gangs of Wasseypur" and the change before and after "Gangs of Wasseypur", I would like to know in detail.
05:14 Sir, we are people from outside, we were not from the film industry.
05:21 We come from a small village, so even if you learn a job, it takes time to find a job, to reach people.
05:28 You are a part of a very large crowd, it is not written on your forehead that you are talented.
05:33 Talent will be known only when you get a proper role.
05:36 What talent will you show in a one-line role?
05:40 We were struggling, it was going on, it was taking time, but small jobs were coming,
05:47 whether you noticed in Akrosh or Omkara, people did.
05:50 But it got a little bigger from Wasseypur, because the prominent role of Sultan came out.
05:54 If we say the lead character of 5-6 films, or the prominent, who had a lot of impact, there was a Sultan in it.
06:01 Plus, the youth watched that film a lot.
06:04 So, youth is basically the force that drives our cinema in India.
06:09 Senior citizens or children go less in family films, youth goes in every film.
06:14 In one film, you had almost a hero role, that film was Dharam with Pankaj Kapoor.
06:18 Oh, what is this, you remember, thank you.
06:20 Sir, I have seen this film, in that you are a typical hero type,
06:25 you catch a British and kill him on the bank of the Banaras,
06:28 saying that he is doing our culture, he has come to destroy.
06:32 What is related to that? Because at that time it seemed that something was happening differently.
06:36 Yes, Dharam was also there, if you ask me, I will say it was a very lucky film.
06:41 Commercial release was not of that kind, it did not work,
06:44 nor was there a multiplex, which is a matter of 2006-07.
06:47 It was a big role, I had a lot of hope from that film.
06:50 Even the director, Bhawana Talwar, at that time said that you are a horse of a long race.
06:54 She said in 2007, I say this dialogue to children in Neel Bhattacharya's play.
06:59 She said that whoever has seen the research, said on the editing table of Dharam, he is a horse of a long race.
07:05 From 2007 to 2012-15, I thought that the horse is not able to walk,
07:09 why a horse of a long race.
07:11 The situation has changed a bit from Wasseypur and last year it changed even more.
07:15 2017 was very special.
07:17 Now a new character is coming in Rajinikanth sir's film, Kala.
07:21 If you can tell, then tell.
07:23 Since the film was in Tamil, I was having difficulty in speaking Tamil.
07:26 But the director, Ranjeet, managed it very well, he made me speak in Hindi.
07:33 And I am a director's actor, sir.
07:35 During the shooting, I completely trust my director and leave it.
07:39 You can make me do whatever you want, I don't have any problem.
07:44 2017 was very good for you.
07:46 The senior critic, Raja Sen, has kept you in the top performers, in 10, at number 1.
07:52 You must be very happy.
07:54 I am grateful to Raja Sen, he kept me in the top list.
07:57 But I feel that more than being published in the newspaper, I am published in people's hearts.
08:02 And if I am published in your heart, then the other person won't be able to read it.
08:05 That who is published.
08:07 But I feel that being remembered is better than being discussed.
08:10 Being remembered.
08:12 Today what is discussed, we can forget it, tomorrow it won't be discussed.
08:15 Nowadays, digital is trending.
08:19 Do you remember what trend was 5 days ago?
08:22 I don't remember what trend was yesterday.
08:25 I don't remember, so I feel that I don't want to be trending, I want to be remembered.
08:30 You did some different films, Anarkali Afara, Neel Bhatte Sannata, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Munna Michael and Phukra Reuters.
08:38 All have different roles.
08:40 Gurgaon and Newton.
08:42 I forgot Gurgaon and Newton, I haven't seen Gurgaon yet.
08:44 Gurgaon and Newton are all different.
08:46 You are deliberately selecting the role, that you don't want to do this.
08:49 Or maybe if you get the same character of Gangs of Wasseypur, you will avoid it.
08:54 What happens is, we have done that work, we have shown that character to the world.
08:59 If we repeat that, people will get bored of me very soon.
09:02 That, we have to do something exclusive, that people are surprised every time.
09:09 Audience is also surprised and I am surprised before the audience.
09:13 As an artist, as an artist.
09:15 Because the experience of the audience, of watching any performance, is second hand.
09:21 We see first hand, actors and directors, when they are doing on set.
09:27 The audience gets a second hand experience.
09:30 So, if I am surprised first, then I can surprise the audience.
09:35 And nowadays, everyone wants that, if I come home, my wife should surprise me.
09:39 She should do something like this at home.
09:41 Thank you.
09:43 [Music]
09:54 [BLANK_AUDIO]
