Pankaj Tripathi on 'Newton': Oscars definitely validates the work of an artist

Somewhere amidst the unsung heroes of Bollywood lies the exceptional career graph of Pankaj Tripathi who hails from a village in Bihar. Just like few of his contemporaries, the versatile actor came to the city of dreams with his own vision to make it big on his own. Since then till now, Tripathi has played pivotal roles in many critically acclaimed films, one of them being Rajkummar Rao starrer 'Newton' that has created waves recently for being chosen as India’s official entry for the 90th Academy Awards.
When TimesofIndia.com asked the 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' star for his reaction when he first heard the news, a humbled Pankaj said, "I felt extremely happy and excited. It is a proud moment for all of us."
When asked, if such recognitions validate the work of an artist or is it just an added feather to the cap, he quipped, "The filmmakers and the film fraternity should be able to tell this better. However, I feel that it definitely validates the work of an artist."
The actor’s filmography is the testimony to his conscious decision of being a part of content-driven films that also makes for a commercial hit at times. "It's always a conscious decision. A good content always allows me to reach the depth of the characters and thus the performance looks more relatable and truthful,” he added.
His recent film 'Newton' is running successfully at the theatres and has also been the unanimous choice of FFI's selection committee for Oscars.