'OMG 2' star Pankaj Tripathi's father passes away; his family to perform last rites in their village

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Pankaj Tripathi's father passes away

Pankaj Tripathi's father, Pandit Banaras Tiwari, aged 98, has passed away. The actor, shooting in Uttarakhand, has headed to his village in Bihar. While his father lived there with his mother, Pankaj resides in Mumbai with his wife and daughter. Pandit Banaras Tiwari was a humble farmer. Born in a small village, he instilled in Pankaj a deep appreciation for art and culture. Pankaj Tripathi's father's simple yet profound wisdom became a guiding force in his life. The values of hard work that Pandit Banaras Tiwari imparted played a pivotal role in shaping Pankaj Tripathi into the versatile and acclaimed actor he is today.

An official statement from the family read, "It’s with a heavy heart to confirm that Pankaj Tripathi’s father, Pandit Banaras Tiwari is no more. He lived a wholesome life of 99 years. His last rites will be performed today amongst his close family. Pank amongaj Tripathi is currently on his way to his village in Gopalganj."

In an old interview, Pankaj had spoken about his father and how he wanted him to become a doctor. “My father wanted me to become a doctor. The place where I hail from — a village in Gopalganj in North Bihar — people, only know two professions: an engineer or a doctor. I am a son of a farmer. My village is [situated so much in the] interior that there are still no well-built roads there.”

However, he added, "The only concern they (family) had was whether I would be able to earn rozi-roti. I told them that if I went to Delhi (Pankaj is an alumnus of National School of Drama), I could even get a government job. Now, the thing with middle-class people is that sarkaari job sunke unhe lagta hai theek hoga. So my father said, ‘yes’."

Pankaj Tripathi in 'OMG 2'

During this challenging period for the Tripathi family, particularly Pankaj Tripathi, there's a silver lining as his movie OMG 2 achieves Box Office success. Despite facing strong competition from Gadar 2, the film garners favorable reviews from both viewers and critics. Within just 10 days, the movie has amassed a staggering Rs 114 crore, featuring acclaimed actors Akshay Kumar and Yami Gautam.

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He shared in an interview with a media house, "Topic important hai islye lagta hai ki sabko ye dekhna chahiye. Jaruri hai ye. Internet aa gaya hai digital hai, har bacche ke haath mein mobile aur na jane kya kya aur sare sansar ka access uske paas hai. Sabhi information, pura internet mein duniya bhari padi hai jo kehti hai pani khane se pehle piyo, baad mein piyo, kuch kehte hai bich piyo. Koi pani kaise piye ye proper education dega? Toh ek behtar nagrik banenge toh hi behtar society banegi, aur behtar society hogi toh behtar desh hoga, majbut desh hoga. Toh yahi ye kahani kehti hai ki hamare bacho ke jo samasya hai unko address hona chahiye."