In a sobering incident over the weekend, Bollywood actor Pankaj Tripathi’s family faced a harrowing tragedy. His brother-in-law, Rakesh Tiwari, became a casualty of a fatal road accident in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. The mishap also left his sister Sabita Tiwari with injuries, though she is currently in stable condition.
The accident unfolded around the late afternoon hours at approximately 4:30 pm at Nirsa Bazar, situated on the busy Delhi-Kolkata National Highway-2. According to police sources, the couple was on a journey from Gopalganj district in Bihar to West Bengal when their vehicle collided with a road divider. Post-collision, both were hurried to the Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH), Dhanbad. Despite immediate medical intervention, Rakesh Tiwari’s life could not be saved and he was declared deceased. On the other hand, the emergency medical team at SNMMCH, under the headship of Dr. Dinesh Kumar Gindauria, clarified that Sabita Tiwari had sustained a leg fracture but her recovery prospects were optimistic, brushing aside any concerns for her life.
Pankaj Tripathi, who graduated from the prestigious National School of Drama, has carved a unique niche for himself in the realm of Indian cinema with his diverse acting prowess. Most notably, he gained the spotlight for playing Sultan Qureshi in Anurag Kashyap’s critically acclaimed 2012 crime saga, ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’. Hailing from a Bhojpuri-speaking Brahmin family nestled in Belsand village, in the heart of Gopalganj district of Bihar, Tripathi has been a recipient of two venerated National Film Awards.
Tripathi ventured as a lead actor in the 2017 acclaimed neo-noir thriller ‘Gurgaon’. Additionally, the actor has significantly stamped his presence in the burgeoning digital streaming space with standout performances in series such as ‘Sacred Games’, ‘Mirzapur’, ‘Criminal Justice’, and ‘Kadak Singh’, further cementing his status with his latest digital outing ‘Murder Mubarak’.
Looking ahead, the actor is charting a course for his appearance in the much-anticipated anthology movie ‘Metro… In Dino’, under the directorial vision of Anurag Basu. Co-starring a constellation of stars including Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Ali Fazal, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Anupam Kher, Neena Gupta, and Konkona Sen Sharma, the film is expected to render a modern take on multifaceted human relationships. Expressing his enthusiasm, Basu stated that the storyline echoes freshness and timely relevance with music playing a pivotal role, wherein he lauded his collaboration with the celebrated musician Pritam who has infused the narrative and characters with vibrant life.
In addition, Tripathi is set to feature in ‘Stree 2’, a project spearheaded by director Amar Kaushik. This supernatural comedy will witness the actor sharing screen space with Rajkummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurana, and Abhishek Banerjee. Audiences are eagerly awaiting the release, scheduled for August 2024, which promises to unravel yet another chapter of intriguing storytelling.
As the film fraternity and fans of Pankaj Tripathi come to terms with this unfortunate news of his personal loss, they extend heartfelt condolences and prayers for the bereaved family during this difficult time. The affection and empathy from all quarters stand as a testament to the impact and love that Tripathi and his work have garnered over the years.
