"My Wife Has Been My Strongest Support", Says Pankaj Tripathi

 Feminist Pankaj Tripathi: In a patriarchal society like ours, a husband who credits his wife for supporting him in his rough days is definitely an exception. But Pankaj Tripathi not only acknowledges his wife Mridula's efforts in making his career take off, but also urges other men to break stereotypes that stop them from establishing equality in husband-wife relationship.

In an interview with SThePeople.TV, Pankaj Tripathi recalled the time when Mridula was the breadwinner of the family.  "She was a qualified school teacher and she got a job in Mumbai while I did what all out-of-town actors in Mumbai do… Struggle. My first major role was in Dharm in 2007 where I got to work with my namesake, the great Pankaj Kapur.”, he said adding that he has no qualms in accepting the truth. "Why should anybody hesitate from admitting a truth, whether it’s on a national TV or any public forum?", he said. ">Watch the full YouTube video here. 

Mridula revealed that if she was out making money, he was ensuring that there was food on the table to eat. He also looked after all the household chores. "We were two bicycle wheels both balancing each other out.”, she summed up.

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She also appreciated Tripathi for admitting that his wife earned while he struggled to establish himself. She explained how, in a male-dominated society, it is very rare for a man to admit that his wife earned while he was struggling to establish his career. "Women are known to do the work but they are never acknowledged. That one sentence of acknowledgement makes me my family and my daughter so happy.”

How does Pankaj Tripathi, who is now a successful actor, credit his wife for everything she did for them? Pankaj Tripathi said that his profession gives him the chance to reach out to audiences therefore helping his thoughts reach a wider audience. And he has only utilised the opportunity he has been bestowed upon by acknowledging his wife’s contribution.

Tripathi is also against the evil of dowry. He told SheThePeople.TV that when discussions of his marriage started happening, he told his father-in-law outright that he will not take a single penny from him. In his village, he’d never seen people getting married without dowry but for some reason, it just didn’t feel right to him. He still got a three-piece suit stitched for him but Tripathi didn’t wear it. On his wedding day, he was dressed up in a simple Dhoti Kurta.

In another interview with The New Indian Express, he had said, "My life is a testament to the feisty women around me, starting from my mother to my wife and my daughter. They not only enrich my existence but they make me want to be a better person.