Pankaj Tripathi’s recent achievement of winning the National Award for Best Supporting Actor in the movie “Mimi” is bittersweet due to his father’s recent passing. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Pankaj shared his mixed emotions, revealing that his father, Pandit Banaras Tiwari, would have been immensely proud.
He expressed, ” This is babuji’s blessing. Agar woh aaj hote, toh woh bahut khush hote. He would have been very proud and the happiest. When I got my first National Film Award for Newton, he was over the moon. Today, I miss him, but I am sure he would be happy with my achievement. This is his blessing, and it is dedicated to him.”
Pankaj, aged 46, disclosed his unique emotional state, acknowledging the sadness of his father’s absence and the pride he knows his achievement would have brought him. He found solace in the thought of his father’s happiness.
Although his father was disconnected from the glamour world and didn’t comprehend cinema, he recognized the significance of national awards. “He stayed in the village and was distant from the glamour world. However, he understood the value of winning a national honor and the prestige it carried, presented by the president,” Pankaj explained. Even though his father wasn’t familiar with the industry, he understood the acknowledgment his son received from the nation for his performance.
Reflecting on the time after receiving his first National Film Award, Pankaj reminisced about his visit to his father in the village. His father’s curiosity about the honor revealed how deeply it meant to him. Pankaj emphasized that national awards held a special place in their lives, particularly as they hailed from a village.
“I struggle to find the right words to describe my emotional turmoil. I am certain my babuji’s blessings are with me. I am currently filled with happiness and emotion. Death is a part of life, a circle of life. He lived a long and beautiful life,” Pankaj concluded, reflecting on his father’s legacy.