Pankaj Tripathi is one of the finest actors in the entertainment industry. Born on 5 September 1976, he is an Indian actor, who predominantly works in Hindi films. Pankaj is the recipient of several awards, including two National Film Awards. He did his studies in acting at the National School of Drama and had minor roles in films like Omkara (2006), Raavan (2010), and Agneepath (2012). He also had a supporting role in the television series Powder (2010).
It was in 2012 when he gained recognition for his role in Anurag Kashyap’s crime drama Gangs of Wasseypur. Pankaj portrayed the character of the butcher, Sultan Qureshi. Tripathi featured in several notable supporting roles in films like Fukrey (2013), Masaan (2015), Nil Battey Sannata (2016), Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), Fukrey Returns (2017), Stree (2018), Ludo (2020), Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl (2020), and 83 (2021). Apart from these, Tripathi proved his acting prowess in Mirzapur (2018–present) and Criminal Justice (2019–2022), and in the streaming film Kaagaz (2021). He has also appeared in the Tamil film Kaala (2018) and the English film Extraction (2020).
Notably, his performance in Newton (2017) won him the National Film Award – Special Mention and his performance in Mimi (2021) won him the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Let’s have a look at Pankaj Tripathi’s 10 best movies
1. Mimi (2021)
- Running Time: 2h 13mins
- IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
- Movie Genre: Drama, Comedy
- Movie Star Cast: Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Supriya Pathak, Sai Tamhankar, Manoj Pahwa, Jaya Bhattacharya
- Director: Rajesh Bhatia
- Writer: Laxman Utekar, Rohan Shankar, Samruoddhi Porey
- Year of release: 2021
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
Mimi, a young lady having big dreams, who wants to achieve big things in life, reluctantly agrees to become a surrogate for a couple in need of money. However, when problems arise, she must take some tough decisions.
2. Masaan (2015)
- Running Time: 1h 49mins
- IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
- Movie Genre: Drama
- Movie Star Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Pankaj Tripathi, Richa Chadha, Sanjay Mishra, Shweta Tripathi
- Director: Neeraj Ghaywan
- Writer: Neeraj Ghaywan, Akbar Allahabadi, Bashir Badr, Brij Narayan Chakbast
- Year of release: 2015
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Varanasi, the holy city on the banks of the Ganges, brutally punished moral violators. A young girl from a different caste captures the heart of Deepak, a young man from a low-income neighborhood sums up Masaan.
3. Gangs of Wasseypur (2012)
- Running Time: 2h 40mins
- IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
- Movie Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Romance, Comedy
- Movie Star Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkummar Rao, Richa Chadha, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manoj Bajpayee, Huma Qureshi
- Director: Anurag Kashyap
- Writer: Anurag Kashyap, Akhilesh Jaiswal, Sachin K. Ladia
- Year of release: 2012
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
Speaking about the story of Gangs of Wasseypur, a confrontation between Sultan and Shahid Khan results in Khan’s banishment from Wasseypur, triggering a lethal vendetta that spans three generations.
4. Newton (2017)
- Running Time: 1h 6mins
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
- Movie Genre: Drama, Thriller, Comedy
- Movie Star Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkummar Rao, Sanjay Mishra, Anjali Patil
- Director: Amit Masurkar
- Writer: Mayank Tewari, Amit Masurkar
- Year of release: 2017
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video
Newton showcases the exploration of democracy, electoral politics, and the complexities of conducting fair elections in conflict zones. The story centers on Newton Kumar, an idealistic and principled government clerk who is tasked with conducting elections in a remote and Naxalite-infested village in Chhattisgarh, India.
5. Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017)
- Running Time: 2h 1min
- IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
- Movie Genre: Comedy, Romance
- Movie Star Cast: Kriti Sanon, Ayushmann Khurrana, Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkummar Rao, Javed Akhtar, Seema Pahwa
- Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
- Writer: Nitesh Tiwari, Shreyas JainYear of release:
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix, Zee5
Bareilly Ki Barfi is a romantic comedy that explores the nuances of Bitti, a free-spirited young woman who lives life on her own terms and refuses to be pressured into marriage. On her journey of love to find Pritam Vidrohi, an author she fell in love with, she encounters the local printing press-owner, Chirag Dubey.
6. Ludo (2020)
- Running Time: 2h 30mins
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
- Movie Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime
- Movie Star Cast: Sanya Malhotra, Abhishek Bachchan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkummar Rao, Fatima Sana Shaikh
- Director: Anurag Basu
- Writer: Anurag Basu, Samrat Chakraborty
- Year of release: 2020
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
Ludo tells four utterly unrelated yet linked storylines. An eccentric criminal named Sattu (Pankaj Tripathi) plays the game of ludo at the start of the narrative; this serves as a metaphor for how his actions determine the fates of several characters. Each colour signifies a unique plot that is destined to intersect with Sattu acting as a catalyst, just like in the game of Ludo.
7. Super 30 (2019)
- Running Time: 2h 42mins
- IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
- Movie Genre: Drama, Biography
- Movie Star Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Mrunal Thakur, Amit Sadh, Nandish Sandhu
- Director: Vikas Bahl
- Writer: Sanjiv Dutta, Sanjeev Dutta
- Year of release: 2019
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Super 30 is a movie that tells the story of a man named Anand Kumar (Hrithik Roshan) who is passionate about mathematics and wants to bring education to everyone. Set in 1996, the movie showcases Anand who has just completed his graduation is getting honored by the education minister (Pankaj Tripathi) himself.
8. Stree (2018)
- Running Time: 2h 9mins
- IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
- Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama, Horror
- Movie Star Cast: Kriti Sanon, Shraddha Kapoor, Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkummar Rao
- Director: Amar Kaushik
- Writer: Raj Nidimoru, Krishna D.K., Sumit Arora
- Year of release: 2018
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Disney+ Hotstar, Jio Cinema, Netflix
Stree is inspired by a popular myth and folklore widely believed in various parts of India. The story is set in Chanderi, a small town in Madhya Pradesh, where an annual puja is held for four days. During this time, the spirit of a wandering bride roams the streets and calls out to unbelieving youths.
9. Fukrey (2013)
- Running Time: 2h 17mins
- IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
- Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Movie Star Cast: Pankaj Tripathi, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Varun Sharma, Pulkit Samrat, Manjot Singh
- Director: Mrighdeep Lamba
- Writer: Mrighdeep Lamba
- Year of release: 2013
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
Fukrey follows the misadventures of four friends in Delhi who get involved in a series of comical and chaotic situations while trying to make easy money. Their schemes and interactions with quirky characters lead to a hilarious rollercoaster of events as they navigate the world of local goons and dreams of striking it rich.
10. OMG 2 (2023)
- Running Time: 2h 36mins
- IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
- Movie Genre: Comedy, Drama
- Movie Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Pankaj Tripathi, Yami Gautam, Arun Govil
- Director: Amit Rai
- Writer: Chandra Prakash Dwivedi, Amit Rai, Kabir Sadanand, Sameer Gautam Singh
- Year of release: 2023
- Where to Watch / OTT Platform: Netflix
The theme of OMG 2 is the Indian educational system. Most of India still views sex education as a taboo subject, but with OMG 2, filmmaker Amit Rai hopes to start a discussion about its inclusion in school curricula.
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