Pankaj Jha has played a variety of characters in films, television and web shows. In a recent interview with The Indian Express, the actor criticised Bollywood for taking too long to recognise Irrfan Khan’s talent. (Also Read: Anurag Kashyap responds to Pankaj Jha’s ‘cowardly’ comment for casting Pankaj Tripathi in place of him in Gangs of Wasseypur)
Pankaj Jha said, Irrfan was the only true actor in the industry
Praising Irrfan’s acting, Pankaj said, “I believe actors should avoid watching films. What happens is that they start copying them. Today I feel every actor is copying someone or the other. There was only one actor in the industry who was real, that was Irrfan Khan. He has set a benchmark for actors and everyone is trying to reach that benchmark, but it is not easy to reach it.” He further said, “We should question the industry why it takes them so long to recognize true talents like Irrfan Khan.”
When Pankaj Jha spoke against glamorising struggle
Earlier, in an interview with Lallantop Cinema, Pankaj Tripathi had accused Pankaj Tripathi of glamorizing ‘struggle’. The Panchayat actor said, “I don’t like the word ‘struggle’. If you have chosen to follow your passion, you should enjoy it, right? And as we have often seen in the industry, people like to glamorize their struggles. Some say they sold potatoes, others say they lived in a small house, some say they stole another actor’s slippers. I think every situation is a learning experience.”
Acting Career of Pankaj Jha
Pankaj gained recognition for his role in Mira Nair’s 2001 comedy-drama Monsoon Wedding. He has also appeared in popular Bollywood films like Company, Haasil, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Black Friday, Aap Kaa Suroor, Gulaal, Teen Patti and Atrangi Re. Pankaj has showcased his talent in television shows like 2612 and Supercops vs Super Villains and has recently been a part of OTT shows like Nirmal Pathak Ki Ghar Wapsi, Panchayat and SSC. Panchayat, a comedy-drama in which he plays the lead role, is back with its third season and has been well received. He has received praise for his portrayal of Vidhayak Ji, also known as MLA Chandrakishore ‘Chandu’ Singh, in the series.
Panchayat Season 3 is available for streaming on Prime Video India.
