'Everyone's Story Has Ups And Downs'

'I'm a guy who is sure of what he wants and confident of getting it.'
'Jab prem kiya, I knew that one day, I would marry the woman I love and spend my life with her.'

He's a chameleon who can seamlessly metamorphose from a lawyer trying to solve a baffling case in Criminal Justice: A Family Matter to a shamefaced husband caught with his pants down by his wife in the film, Metro... In Dino.

What is common between the two is the relationship between Madhav Mishra and his wife Ratna and Monty and Kajol, laced with gentle humour and an enduring love.

While Pankaj Tripathi admits that wooing his wife Mridula was far more difficult than wooing Konkona Sen Sharma's Kajol, he doesn't believe their love story merits a film.

"Even if someone were to approach me with the idea of bringing our lives to the screen, I would stop them," Pankaj tells Rediff Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya.

Anurag Basu, the writer-director of Metro... In Dino, admitted in a recent interview that when his wife Tani saw the first print of the film, she reprimanded him for putting so much of their life on screen. Do you see a jhalak of your life in Monty and Kajol's track too?

No, no, there's nothing of my life in this story.

Your daughter Aashi doesn't have to intervene when her parents fight?

Never, because there are hardly any disagreements between my wife and me.

Ann bann na ke barabar hai (They are as good as none) and even the reasons for these disagreements are external rather than internal.

So, Aashi, with whom we both share a great bonding, doesn't have to step in.

Ever thought of bringing your real life story to the screen, given that your decade-long courtship had all the ingredients of a Bollywood potboiler?

Bilkul nahi. I don't think ours is that interesting a story.

My wife and I are just living our lives together, film banane ke liye nahi jee rahe hain.

Everyone's story has its share of ups and downs, mine isn't any different.

Even if someone were to approach me with the idea of bringing our lives to the screen, I would stop them.

Was wooing Mridula as difficult as wooing back an aggrieved Kajol?

Usse zyada. It took me a lot of time and effort.

At any point did you ever give up hope of marrying her?

No, I'm a guy who is sure of what he wants and confident of getting it.

When I decided actor banna hai, I knew I would become one.

Jab prem kiya, I knew that one day, I would marry the woman I love and spend my life with her.

People have loved you in this light-hearted, romantic role which is a refreshing break from your usual intense roles. Did you enjoy playing Monty?

Dada (Anurag Basu) sent me just a paragraph; there is this couple and the husband has an extra-marital track.

I was instantly hooked.

He didn't say Monty was different, but I realised instinctively that I had not played a character like this before and it would be interesting.

The role developed as we went along.

Sab Dada ka khel hai. On its own, such a story is nothing out of the ordinary. But the way he treated it, and my character, made the journey fun.

He doesn't want you to prep, he just says, 'Bas aa jao.'

On my part, I don't ever ask to listen to the complete story when he approaches me, I just tell him, 'Aa jayenge hum.'

Anurag is equally fond of you, both as a person and an actor...

He told me twice, during the shoot, and a few days ago, 'Aap mein kuch hai, you give the director exactly what he wants.'

I have no idea unhe kya chahiye hota hai, main to bas apna kaam karke aa jaata hoon.

Dada also told me the other day, 'Aap ke andar director ready hai.'

From observing me closely during Ludo and Metro... In Dino, he believes I have become technically very sound.

It's true that I never look at the monitor now, I just see what lens is being used for the shot aur sab pata chal jata hai.

Dada also has a lot of lagaav with the camera so he understands.

So, will we see you turn director soon?

No, as I told Dada, dukaan chalne do. I have no wish to direct.

Why not?

I don't know, zaroorat nahi hai abhi.

When I get a story that makes me behchain, we will see.

Right now, I'm happy being just an actor.

You mentioned earlier that you really enjoyed doing a romantic comedy like Metro... In Dino.

Yes, bahut maza aaya.

The scene of me chasing Kajol on my scooter, distraught to see my estranged wife riding parallel with another man, was such a laugh riot.

Would you want to do more such romantic roles?

Yes. I've just completed a slice-of-like film with Aditi Rao Hydari titled Parvarikar ManuRanjan.

It is a delightfully amusing love story with a simple, world charm, like the films of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basuda (Chatterjee), but contemporary in its treatment.

We recently completed the shooting in Lucknow.

They are working on the post-production and I was asking the director (Varun V Sharma) recently, 'Kaisa lag raha hai?'

I want to do stories jisme kuch baat ho.