CHENNAI: Women’s upliftment has a long way to go in society but at least it can happen in cinema and literature, believes Pankaj Tripathi, who feels lucky to have played supportive fathers to daughters and an ally to his female counterparts in many of his movies.
Tripathi, who has a daughter with wife Mridula, is known for his sensitive portrayal of a father in films such as “Bareilly Ki Barfi” and “Gunjan Saxena”.
“I have been lucky that I got such scripts, this is just a coincidence. I have a great relationship with my daughter and in my life, I’m surrounded by four women. I don’t know if it is right to say, but I believe I have started to understand women better,” the actor told in an interview.
Not just the father-daughter relationship, Tripathi said he has been part of movies where his characters become an ally to women, be it “Nil Battey Sannata”, “Anaarkali of Aarah” or “Mimi”, for which he won a National Film Award in the supporting actor category.
“I have played men who go to great lengths to help women. My thoughts align with such stories. I believe that in our society, the kind of upliftment women need has not happened. So if it hasn’t happened in society, at least, it should be reflected in our cinema and literature. Hopefully, it will have an effect in society over time,” he added.