Kaleen Bhaiya’s obsession with power stems from insecurity, says Pankaj Tripathi

Mumbai: Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who essays the formidable Kaleen Bhaiya in the ‘Mirzapur’ franchise, has opened up about the insecurities that often lie beneath the intimidating exterior of powerful men.

Asked whether Kaleen Bhaiya’s obsession with power, fear and control stems from a deep-rooted insecurity about losing his relevance, Pankaj said insecurity was an inherent part of the power game.

Pankaj told IANS: “Yes, in the power game, there is always this problem that the one who is sitting on power is insecure.”

‘Mirzapur: The Movie’, which is set to release on Prime Video after its theatrical run, has been directed by Gurmmeet Singh and presented by Amazon MGM Studios in collaboration with Excel Entertainment.

Jointly backed by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the banner of Excel Entertainment, the project has been co-produced by Kassim Jagmagia and Vishal Ramchandani.

The film adaptation of the series brings back several familiar faces in their much-loved avatars, including Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Rasika Dugal, Shweta Tripathi, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Harshita Gaur.

The cast also features new additions, including Jitendra Kumar and Ravi Kishan.

Pankaj began his career with minor roles in films such as ‘Omkara’ and ‘Agneepath’ and also had a supporting role in the television series ‘Powder’.

He gained recognition for his performance in Anurag Kashyap’s crime drama ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ in 2012, after which he went on to play several notable supporting roles. These include performances in ‘Fukrey’, ‘Masaan’, ‘Nil Battey Sannata’, ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, ‘Fukrey Returns’, ‘Stree’, ‘Ludo’, ‘Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl’ and ’83’.

He has also played leading roles in several streaming series, including ‘Mirzapur’ and ‘Criminal Justice’, as well as the streaming film ‘Kaagaz’.

The actor received a National Film Award – Special Mention for his performance in ‘Newton’, while his performance in ‘Mimi’ earned him a National Film Award.

He has since starred in the social satire ‘OMG 2’ and the comedy-horror sequel ‘Stree 2’.