Gunjan Saxena: 'You are a better father to Janhvi than me', Tripathi recalls Kapoor's text

Actor Pankaj Tripathi remembers phone calls from his friends after y saw "Gunjan Saxena: Kargil Girl". As fars to daughters, y were moved by bond he shared with Janhvi Kapoor's Gunjan in movie.

Tripathi, a versatile performer who has played characters of all shes, loved playing Anup Saxena, a man who doesn't believe that aspirations should be ed.

"It's a very important role in my career because way I am or want to be as a far, film represents that. 'Mujhe gunda, mawali bana dete hai' (I often get villaius roles). But playing Anup Saxena was close to what I am in real life with my daughter or aspire to be. I want world to have more such fars," he told PTI in a Zoom interview.

"I remember when people who kw me watched film, y called me and told me, 'Yaar, after seeing your film, I went home and hugged my daughter'. This solves my purpose," Tripathi ded.

43-year-old actor maybe more famous for his negative turns in movies such as "Gangs of Wasseypur", "Gurgaon" and web series like "Mirzapur", but he has also mastered art of playing progressively uncomplicated men like Indian Railways employee Shya ji in "Masaan", a math teacher in "Nil Battey Sannata", and a doting far in "Bareilly Ki Barfi" and w in "Gunjan Saxena".

Tripathi believes films can help make people aware about a good idea.

"I kw that films don't change people but films can put a thought in one's mind and if you have that thought n maybe you will change a little. It is important to have that thought. I hope I have mand that in film," he ded.

His co-star Janhvi shared that her far, producer Boney Kapoor, messd Tripathi after watching film.

"Boney ji sent me a mess late in night. He was very emotional after watching film. He wrote, 'You are a better far to Janhvi than me'. It touched me," Tripathi said recalling conversation between real and reel fars. His dynamic with Janhvi's Gunjan in upcoming movie runs parallel to her aspiration to become a pilot, a dream that her far fuels despite opposition from his wife and son, who believe it to be job unfit for women.

film is based on life of Gunjan Saxena, n a flying officer, who became first woman combat aviator to fly into a war zone during 1999 Kargil War.

Tripathi credits Janhvi, 23, for putting in hard work to become familiar with him and his family. "She would call me 'Sir, where are you? When do you finish shooting? Should I come?' I would say, 'Haan, aa jao. Poochhna kya?' (Sure, why formality?) She would be re eating with my family by time I reached home. She spent five-six days and lived like a family member with my wife and daughter," actor said.

Tripathi said as professional actors y could have directly met on set in Luckw but with Janhvi going an extra mile to kw him before shoot changed ir equation, making ir scenes feel more natural.

Janhvi said she was just happy to learn from Tripathi. "Gunjan ji looks up to her far and idolises him, this is how I idolise Pankaj ji. Even on sets, I would watch him perform and seek his guidance. Basically, we h a similar relationship off camera," she ded.

Tripathi said he h become attached to Janhvi while working on film, and if y do a film in future, he will have to reboot completely.

actor said he trusted director Sharan Sharma a lot while working on film, including in a crucial scene, only one in entire film when far and daughter have a conflict. "I trusted Sharan a lot. I am a director's actor. I tell every director 'If something is t working, you have to tell me. Don't think that I will mind it. I will change if you don't like something in my performance'. I am gl scene has been liked so much. I did t prepare for it. We did a rough take and n completed shot," he ded. 

Also starring Ayesha Raza Mishra, Vineet Kumar Singh, Manav Vij, and Ang Bedi, "Gunjan Saxena" will start streaming on Netflix from August 12.