Pankaj Tripathi has carved out a unique place for himself in Indian film. His series of versatile works, ranging from small-town individuals to sympathetic heroes, is a testament to his skill. Over the years, he rose from supporting parts to mainstream stardom. In the course of his career, Pankaj Tripathi has maintained a respectful and unique sense of style. However, despite this, in recent times, he has been likened to the late actor Irrfan Khan’s style.

Viewers could not help but compare his new avatar to the late Irrfan Khan. On July 4, 2025, Anurag Basu’s much-awaited film ‘Metro… In Dino’ debuted in theaters. In addition to comparing the film’s emotional impact to that of its well-known 2007 film, ‘Life In A… Metro,’ viewers could not help but compare Pankaj Tripathi’s endearing depiction of ‘Monty’ with Irrfan Khan’s endearing style. Now, Pankaj has finally spoken up about this comparison.

Pankaj Tripathi opened up about being compared to Irrfan Khan

The announcement of Life In A…Metro’s sequel immediately brought back memories of Irrfan.  In the ‘Metro… In Dino,’  Pankaj Tripathi plays Monty, who is having a midlife crisis in his marriage to Konkona’s character, Kajol Ghosh. Together with Konkona Sensharma, Pankaj Tripathi’s subtle but impactful on-screen chemistry left a lasting impression. As a result, many commentators and viewers drew comparisons between Irrfan and Pankaj. In a recent interview with Zoom, Pankaj Tripathi recently opened up about this, saying that such comparisons should not be made and I will always be his fan. He said,

Yeh comparison bilkul nahi hona chahiye. Voh mere senior the, aur main unka fan rahunga. Mere drama school ke senior the voh. Hum ek hi acting institute se seekhe hai. Main khud unke craft ko dekhke seekhta tha. Voh Irrfan sir hai, unki jagah hum sabke dilon mein hai.

Pinterest

Pankaj Tripathi’s co-star Konkona Sensharma also also comparisons between him and Irrfan Khan

In a different interview, Pankaj Tripathi’s co-star Konkona Sensharma opened up about how she felt about this above-mentioned comparison. Speaking to Mint, she said that both Irrfan’s ‘Life In A… Metro’ and Pankaj Tripathi’s ‘Metro… In Dino’ are different films and even their characters and storylines are different. She said,

Life In A Metro was 17–18 years ago. That time, Irrfan and I played Shruti and Monty. They were a much younger couple with younger concerns. Now, Pankaj and my characters are different. They are a much older, married couple with kids. They have jobs, EMIs, responsibilities.

IANS

Advertisment

‘Metro… In Dino,’ Anurag Basu’s most recent film, opened in theaters on Friday. Its cast includes Sara Ali Khan, Aditya Roy Kapur, Konkona Sen Sharma, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, and Anupam Kher. It delves into issues of love, heartbreak, and urban relationships. However, even with its all-star cast and high level of expectation, the movie got off to a lackluster start. The movie brought in Rs 3.35 crore on its first day of release, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.

What do you think about Pankaj Tripathi’s newly released movie? Do share your thoughts with us in the comment section of this article.