Pankaj Tripathi Gets Emotional on Chhath Puja, Recalls Village Roots
For celebrated actor Pankaj Tripathi, no matter how far cinema takes him from his native village in Belsand, Gopalganj district of Bihar, the sacred four-day festival of Chhath Puja immediately pulls him back to the dawn riverbanks, folk melodies, and family warmth of his childhood. Speaking in a candid joint conversation alongside his Parivarik ManuRanjan co-star Aditi Rao Hydari—whose wholesome family comedy-drama premiered on Sony LIV on November 13, 2026—the two acclaimed performers reflected not only on the changing face of Indian cinema and digital storytelling, but also on deeply personal values. Turning visibly emotional while speaking about Chhath Puja, Tripathi remarked that while cities and addresses may change over a lifetime, true faith, discipline, and cultural traditions never fade. Remembering his late parents with affection, the actor shared how he strives to recreate the purity, traditional prasad, and devotional Chhath songs inside his Mumbai home so the next generation stays anchored to its heritage. For cinephiles, OTT viewers, and cultural readers across Patna, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Ranchi, New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, the interaction blends heartfelt festive nostalgia with sharp insights into modern entertainment.
Pankaj Tripathi's Emotional Chhath Puja Memories and Preserving Roots in Mumbai
Reflecting on what Chhath Puja means to him every year, Pankaj Tripathi shared that the festival immediately brings back vivid childhood memories of waking up before sunrise to prepare for the ghat, listening to traditional folk songs echoing across the household, and watching the entire family come together to prepare prasad. Describing Chhath not merely as a grand religious observance but as an intimate bridge connecting people to their roots, discipline, and family values, he noted that the occasion brings an even deeper emotional ache since the passing of his parents.
Despite living and working in Mumbai, Tripathi emphasized that his family makes a conscious effort to uphold the sanctity and spirit of Chhath Puja at home—playing devotional Chhath melodies and preparing traditional offerings so the familiar spiritual fragrance fills the house. In his view, festivals fulfill their true purpose only when elders pass their underlying values and reverence on to younger generations.
Why 'Parivarik ManuRanjan' Resists Dark OTT Trends and Bollywood Myths
Both Pankaj Tripathi and Aditi Rao Hydari—paired on screen for the first time in director Varun V. Sharma's Sony LIV original Parivarik ManuRanjan, co-written by Brijendra Kala, Ali Abbas Zafar, and Sharma—agreed that doing honest, meaningful work matters far more than chasing the tag of the biggest hero or heroine.
| Key Discussion Theme | Pankaj Tripathi's Perspective | Aditi Rao Hydari's Perspective |
| Digital Storytelling & OTT | Grateful to platforms for expanding storytelling; welcomed Parivarik ManuRanjan as a warm family film amid dark OTT crime dramas | Urged filmmakers to trust good writing, direction, and acting instead of blindly chasing fleeting box office trends |
| Breaking Screen Image | Believes actors need not force an image change every time; enjoyment and human truth in a script matter most | Calls herself a director's artist; played a domestic help in the film out of trust in the director's vision rather than to shed Heeramandi's Bibbojaan image |
| Negative PR & Publicity | Prefers channeling energy into authentic craft rather than industry noise | Rejects negative PR; focuses on spotting the good in people or humming a positive song when surrounded by negativity |
| Perfection vs. Imperfection | Believes perfection lies in embracing imperfections—obsessing over perfection creates friction in relationships | Admitted she holds herself to strict standards and apologizes readily, while learning not to overthink unintentional mistakes |
Tripathi, recently spotlighted in an IMDb report as a defining force in India's digital storytelling era, observed that while streaming content has often been consumed individually and dominated by gritty thrillers, warm family stories are steadily bringing households back together. Echoing his sentiment—and referencing Tripathi's earlier remarks at the Jagran Film Festival on how titles like Mirzapur: The Movie and Hanuman Ansh shattered rigid box office assumptions—Aditi Rao Hydari stressed that Indian cinema must trust original storytelling rather than formulaic trends.
Defining True Entertainment and Embracing Imperfection in Relationships
Asked how they define entertainment, Tripathi described it as deeply personal—much like culinary tastes across different regions of India—noting that stories anchored in genuine human emotion transcend regional boundaries. Hydari added that real entertainment lies in losing track of the outside world and experiencing laughter, tears, or empathy alongside believable characters. Finally, on relationships, Tripathi offered a characteristic philosophical gem: "Perfection lies in imperfection"—reminding audiences that accepting one another's flaws brings lasting harmony both on screen and in everyday life.
