Tell me, what kind of relationship have you developed with Madhav Mishra in Criminal Justice over the years?
I often say I am the Madhav Mishra of acting. He used to serve affidavits—he was a lawyer in survival mode, doing small jobs to get by. Similarly, I started my career in cinema with one or two-scene roles, trying to survive.
Pankaj Tripathi on the joys of playing the canny lawyer Madhav Mishra in Applause Entertainment’s Criminal Justice for the fourth time
And look where you are now!
I feel a very strong sense of belonging. The identification is deep—very, very strong. Both Madhav and I have roots in Bihar. You know, sir, I also studied at Patna Law College. I remember Sridhar Raghavan came to narrate Season One to me and said, “This is a remake of Criminal Justice (UK). Will you watch it?” I said I wouldn’t. I’m not interested in watching remakes.
So initially, you said no to Criminal Justice?
Sir, I didn’t say no. Who am I to say no? I told Sridhar, “For me, the original character is whatever you write. Whatever you give me, I will interpret in my own way and perform it.”
In the original BBC series, the lawyer changed in every season?
Yes, sir. In two seasons, there were different lawyers and different characters. But here, in each season, we revisit Madhav Mishra’s world and his different cases.
There can’t be anyone else playing Madhav Mishra now, can there?
I’ve said this many times—his culture, accent, the upbringing in Bihar, the innocence and satire—I can easily infuse all of that into this character. I didn’t need to “work” on it. Bihar is in my DNA.
I agree. You became Madhav Mishra so naturally.
And my wife’s character, played by Khushboo Atre, is from Indore, but she’s so amazing that it doesn’t even seem like she’s not from Bihar.
In the four seasons so far, do you feel Madhav Mishra has grown? And has your interpretation evolved as well?
Absolutely. At the beginning of this new season, a big corporate law firm approaches Madhav Mishra. He asks them, “Why do you want to hire me?” And they say, “Because your face is relatable to the common man.” As an actor too, I feel I share a deep relatability with the common Indian. Madhav Mishra is not a character of cinema—he’s a character from and of our society.
You share screen space in Criminal Justice with some capable co-stars.
Yes, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub was my junior at NSD. Mita Vashishtji was my senior. Kalyanee Mulay, who plays the lady cop, is amazing. I saw her in a play at NSD eight years ago. She looked so different back then. I had to catch a flight, so I left five minutes before the play ended. But I took her number and told her she did a fantastic job. And Surveen Chawla is brilliant. In that sequence in the park at the end, we really worked hard to ensure the focus remained on her.
We don’t have too many generous actors in this industry who openly praise their co-stars.
Sir, cinema is a team effort. You can’t create anything in isolation. If Criminal Justice has worked so well, it’s because everyone gave their best—from Sameer Nair of Applause Entertainment to every actor and technician. It’s their triumph.
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