Just when Pankaj Tripathi was riding high on the waves of success with the smashing hit “OMG 2,” featuring none other than Akshay Kumar and Yami Gautam, life threw him a curveball. Sadly, Pankaj’s dad, the venerable Pandit Banaras Tiwari, has breathed his last at a ripe age of 99.
In a heartbeat, Pankaj dashed off to his roots in Gopalganj, Bihar, to pay his last respects. And while he was at it, his buddy and “OMG 2” co-star, Akshay Kumar, couldn’t hold back his emotions. Taking to Twitter (or should we say X now?), Akshay shared a tear-jerking message. Pouring his heart out, he penned, “The news of my buddy and screen partner, @TripathiiPankaj’s dad’s departure has hit me hard. No one can ever fill the shoes of our folks. May the big guy up there cradle his soul. Om Shanti.”
And he wasn’t alone in this. The renowned actor, Manoj Bajpayee, who’s got a National Award tucked under his belt, shared his two cents. Tweeting to the heartbroken Pankaj, he said, “@TripathiPankaj, buddy, my heart goes out to you. Hang in there and find the strength. Wishing your old man a peaceful journey. Om Shanti.”
A little birdie told us that Pankaj’s folks still call Gopalganj home, while our man sets the silver screen on fire from Mumbai, alongside his fam. In chitchats gone by, Pankaj spilled the beans about how his old man wanted him to sport a white coat as a doctor.
On the work side of things, the hustle doesn’t stop for Mr. Tripathi. He’s gearing up for “Fukrey 3” and is knee-deep shooting for “Stree 2”. Rumor has it, he’s slipping into the shoes of ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in “Main Atal Hoon.” And let’s not forget his latest, “OMG 2,” which took a deep dive into the touchy world of sex education. Talk about being on a roll!
