Mumbai, Nov 11: Actor Pankaj Tripathi believes an alpha male need not be aggressive or arrogant, saying cinema should move beyond its chest-thumping portrayal of masculinity and present it as a leadership quality.
In the recently released trailer of his upcoming film “Parivarik ManuRanjan”, Tripathi’s character declares that it is time for him to become an “alpha”.
The 50-year-old actor said the dialogue, written by the film’s writer-director Varun V Sharma, comes at a particular point in the story.
“When you watch the movie, the line comes at a particular time. And whether it is a genuine sentiment of the character or whether he says it because he is inspired by a movie is something to watch out for. But what he does is a genuine act of being an alpha,” Tripathi told PTI in an interview.
Asked about the portrayal of toxic masculinity often associated with the term alpha male in Indian cinema, Tripathi said he does not subscribe to that interpretation.
“If you remove arrogance from alpha and look at it as a leader, then it is not a bad thing. But cinema has created a different image of alpha, like it is about chest-thumping,” he said.
Tripathi believes cinema should offer audiences different perspectives on masculinity instead of reinforcing a single idea of what it means to be an alpha male.
“If you see my characters, barring a few, they are alpha but in a different sense. Like the role of the father that I played in the film ‘Gunjan Saxena’, he is giving freedom to the girl and he has a different point of view.
“And this is the purpose of storytelling, wherein we should show society not just one meaning or perspective of alpha, and then let people choose, decide and behave as to what kind of alpha they want to be in real life,” he said.
Tripathi also spoke about cinema’s influence on society, pointing to the growing popularity of black Scorpio vehicles in Purvanchal, where his popular series “Mirzapur” is set.
He said the automobile company that manufactures the SUV had informed him about a growing craze for the vehicle because it is driven by his character Kaleen Bhaiya’s team in “Mirzapur”.
“So, whether cinema is inspired by society or vice versa, sometimes the lines get blurred,” he said.
Kaleen Bhaiya remains one of the most recognisable characters of Tripathi’s career. While the actor enjoys being part of the world of “Mirzapur”, he said his personal preference leans towards slice-of-life comedies and relatable stories.
“For me, ‘Mirzapur’ is a departure. In reality, this is who I am, this is the kind of cinema that I like, it aligns with my taste. That (‘Mirzapur’-kind of films and shows) I do as part of my profession. If given an option, I would prefer something like this; simple, slice-of-life stories truly appeal to me as a viewer,” he said.
“Parivarik ManuRanjan” revolves around Lucknow’s most eligible bachelor, played by Tripathi, who finds unexpected love when his charming househelp, played by Aditi Rao Hydari, enters his life, setting off a series of romantic and comic turns.
The actor said he hopes the film will offer audiences a community viewing experience and appeal to families.
Reflecting on his career in 2026, which also saw him feature in the box-office hit “Mirzapur: The Movie”, Tripathi said an actor’s fortunes can change every Friday, while personal growth is a continuous process.
“An actor’s fortune changes every Friday, but a person’s fortune changes every single morning. Each day brings us a lot of opportunities to grow and learn,” he said.
“Parivarik ManuRanjan” is set to release on Sony LIV on November 13.
Mukesh Tiwari, Brijendra Kala, Sunita Rajwar and Vijayant Kohli round out the cast.
The film is backed by Vinod Bhanushali of Bhanushali Studios Limited and Himanshu Mehra. Filmmaker Ali Abbas Zafar serves as the creative producer through his banner AAZ Films. (PTI)
