Pankaj Tripathi: 'Mirzapur: The Movie' has the masala masses want while being realistic

Kaleen Bhaiyya, Guddu, Munna et al are back. This time, though, the dialogue-baazi, drama and violence unfold on the big screen rather than OTT. Amazon Prime's popular web series Mirzapur, in what's a first, gets a big screen treatment.

In Mirzapur: The Movie, releasing on September 4, Pankaj Tripathi reprises his role as Kaleen Bhaiyya, whose popularity is such that you will spot him in memes as well as on autorickshaws. In an interview to INDIA TODAY, the actor talks about how the film caters to both the show's ardent followers and new audience.

Q. When you are essaying Kaleen Bhaiyya on the big screen, does the acting style or pitch change in any way?

A. Not at all. Gurmmeet [Singh, director] told us to perform the way we did in the series-only the camera treatment changed. If there was another change, it was in how the duration of each set was long in the series while in film, the screenplay had to keep things compact. We were not spending too much time on each location. Still, the schedule was long though as the story travels from the Ganga plains to desert. It took longer than the series to shoot this since we would shoot one scene a day, with a small montage at best.

Q. You have experienced theatrical success with OMG 2. Mirzapur comes with a sense of familiarity—its characters being household names. Do you feel any pressure over the movie's box-office opening?

A. In the Bhagavad Gita, there's a saying: "Karm kiye jaa, phal ki chinta mat kar (Do your work; don't worry about rewards)." Our job was to perform with responsibility, which we have. The box-office result shouldn't be of concern to us. Yes, one does keep a watch on the figures, but we aren't too worried about it. There's both ummeed (hope) and excitement. The masala that the masses want is there while keeping it all in the realistic zone.

Q. You have lived the character of Kaleen Bhaiyya through seasons and a film. That's spending nearly nine years with a character. What have you come to appreciate about him?

A. Kaleen Bhaiyya's calmness. He is very controlled. His outlook is 'Vichaaron ko dekho, react mat karo (See the response but don't react)'. Most of us live for reaction and not to respond. I have made Kaleen Bhaiyya responsive. He doesn't commit if he is feeling sad, disappointed or angry. It is something I have taken off him: respond but not react. If you notice, his pitch never goes up. His reaction is non-committal—you won't see it on his face. As the show's dialogue goes, 'Bahubali maarte nahin hain, order dete hain (A strongman gives orders to kill; never does it himself)'. I just have to give orders, not always engage in the acts of violence.

Q. For a chunk of the audience that knows the world of Mirzapur inside out, will the movie offer a sense of discovery or something new to soak in?

A. Kirdaar wohi hain, kahani nayi hai (The story is new, not the characters). Those who have seen the show will find answers to some questions they had. At the same time, it is a standalone film for those who haven't seen the Mirzapur series at all. They too will be able to follow it. And there are enough one-liners here with scope to become memes.

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