Pankaj Tripathi, who won the IIFA 2022 award for best supporting actor for his film Ludo, confessed that he was originally unsure if he received it for Ludo or 83.
Pankaj Tripathi described the ‘amazing’ moment when he earned a standing ovation and loud acclaim, as well as an award, at the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, which will be hosted in Abu Dhabi in June 2022. The actor claimed he was so taken aback by the audience’s reaction to his triumph at the ceremony that he couldn’t remember which of his films had earned him the award.
Pankaj remembers subsequently asking the Abu Dhabi media if his effort in Ludo or 83 had earned him the IIFA award for Supporting Role (Male). In Ludo, a 2020 dark comedy film written and directed by Anurag Basu, the actor portrays renowned don Rahul Satyendra “Sattu” Tripathi. In Kabir Khan’s 2021 sports biopic 83, he portrayed PR Man Singh, the manager of the Indian Cricket Team in the 1983 World Cup. Pankaj received the IIFA award for best supporting actor for his performance in Ludo.
Pankaj recently expressed his astonishment to Bollywood Hungama, saying, “I was so overwhelmed that I didn’t know what to do. Kriti Sanon (the award’s presenter) had mentioned that it was for Ludo, but I couldn’t remember which film I had received it for. I didn’t hear it since I was so engrossed in my thoughts. I couldn’t have heard it because of the cacophony.”
Pankaj commented on the audience’s excitement about his victory, saying, “It was a beautiful and amazing experience. People didn’t stop talking because I stood there with my hands folded. I didn’t realize it right away, but after coming down from the platform, I realized how fantastic it is that I have this connection with people here, where the majority of the people are from Abu Dhabi. I also said that I don’t know what to say in my speech since your claps said it all for me; you delivered the speech on my behalf. I couldn’t even thank the producers T-Series or Anurag Dada properly. My wife was sitting there, and I subsequently asked her and my daughter whether they were upset because I didn’t mention them in the speech. But it was such a profound event for me at the time that I had forgotten everything. I merely thanked the fans for their support.”
Pankaj, who was most recently seen in Bachchan Pandey, will play the lead in Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga. On June 24, the movie will be shown in theatres for the first time. He will shortly begin production for the third season of Mirzapur, an Amazon Prime Video series in which he portrays Kaleen Bhaiya.
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