Even as book stalls lined the University Stadium at North Campus last week, students thronged the hall to cheer and wave at Piyush Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi, overwhelming security on two separate days at the inaugural Delhi University Literature Festival. Sharing memories of their college days and engaging the crowd with trademark humour, the National School of Drama alumni emerged as highlights of the fest’s first two days.
“Dilli meri mehbooba hai, aur Mumbai se meri shaadi ho gayi hai,” shared Piyush Mishra
‘Jab bhi mauka lagta hai Dilli zaroor aata hun’In conversation with Anoop Lather, in a session titled after his song Ek Bagal Mein Chaand Hoga, Mishra spoke about his struggling years as an actor and his bond with Delhi on Day 1 of the fest. “Dilli se mera rishta kuch aur hai. Dilli meri mehbooba hai, aur Mumbai se meri shaadi ho gayi hai. Jab bhi mauka lagta hai Dilli zaroor aata hoon.”
Sharing his affection for Gen Z, he said, “Main Gen Z se bahut pyaar karta hoon. Gen Z se koi parhez nahi hai. Bade achche log ho tum, bas thodi jaldbaazi kar jaate ho woh alag baat hai.” With his signature tongue-in-cheek humour, he added, “Main perform youth ke liye karta hoon, lekin ek bada aarop hai tumhare upar. Hamare zamane mein mohalle mein ek phenomenon hua karta tha – pita hua aashiq. Woh tumhari generation ne gayab kar diya. Romance ka ek ajeeb-o-gareeb tareeka nikaal liya hai. Tumhare breakups hote hain, dil nahi toot’te. Tum logon ne lutf khatam kar diya hai. Prem ke bina zindagi kuch bhi nahi hai.”‘NSD ne mujhe sab kuch diya hai’The actor, who spent 20 years in Delhi’s theatre circuit before moving to Mumbai to pursue films, shared that he still enjoys visiting the campus. “NSD ne mujhe sab kuch diya hai.” He added that his home in Mumbai is always open to struggling artistes. “Jo log struggle karte huye akela mehsoos karte hain, unke liye ek parivaar hai Mumbai mein. Mujhe koi parivaar nahi mila apne time mein, lekin main woh sahara banna chahta hun. Jo bhi Mumbai aata hai, mere ghar mein you’re most welcome.”
“Bhool toh nahi gaye humein?” Pankaj Tripathi interacted with the students on Day 2 of DU Lit Fest
Amid chants of “Pankaj bhaiya”, Day 2 saw a packed stadium eagerly waiting for Pankaj Tripathi, who arrived late but made up for it with his wit. In conversation with theatre director Santanu Bose, he shared humorous anecdotes and kept students engaged during his session titled Nautanki. As students shouted “Kaleen bhaiya” – his character from Mirzapur – in response to the moderator’s question about his favourite role, he laughed, “Arre usse bhi achche achche kaam kiye hain!” He said his personal favourites are characters from Masaan, Newton, Criminal Justice and Gunjan Saxena, which he feels reflect his own personality. Addressing the students of DU, Pankaj said, “Bhool toh nahi gaye hamein? Mera khud ka sapna tha ki DU mein admission mil jaaye par mere number achhe nahi thay. Toh NSD mein mil gaya. Main bhagyshali hoon ki saahitya utsav mein nimantran mila hai. Koshish karenge ki kuch prerna de aapko. Aapki umar aisi hai ki prem aur prerna ki badi zarurat hoti hai.”
Students interacted from the balcony of the hall, even leaning on the railing to catch a picture or wave
‘Jo peeche baithe hain unhe uthana hai aur mainstream mein lana hai’The actor’s journey from Bihar to Delhi and then Mumbai has inspired many. “Mujhe chinta hamesha uski hoti hai jo line mein peeche hota hai. Jo aage baithe hain woh privileged hain, jo peeche baithe hain unhe uthana hai aur mainstream mein laana hai. Jaise ki hum kataar mein bahut peeche thay,” he noted.When asked about his next project, students from the crowd responded on his behalf, prompting him to quip, “Inn logon ko yaad hai, mujhe toh yaad bhi nahi. Lekin yeh batao, imtehan kab hai tumhara?”‘Jab bhi life mein conflict aaye, samjhna ki woh situation kuch sikhane aaya hai’Pankaj named late actors Om Puri and Irrfan, along with fellow actor Manoj Bajpayee, as his inspirations. “Manoj bhaiya ki journey se inspire huye ki nadi ke uss paar ka ladka abhineta ban sakta hai toh iss paar ka bhi ban sakta hai. Hamari nadi ke uss paar tak koi pul nahi tha. Toh usme insaan ya toh complain karta hai ki suvidhaaye nahi hain ya phir tairna seekh jaata hai. Jab bhi life mein conflict aaye toh samjhna ki woh situation kuch sikhane aaya hai, ek behtar insan banane aaya hai,” he said.‘Gen Z bahut aage hai’He also delighted the audience by using the popular Gen Z slang “delulu” when asked to share a message for the generation, adding, “Koi sandesh nahi hai, aap log bahut aage hain.” Speaking about playing negative roles, he said, “Koi sirf acha hai ya sirf bura hai, aisa nahi hai. Main duniya ko waise nahi dekh paata hoon. Mujhe har bure vyakti mein kuch achhai dikh jaati hai. Bahut human cheez hai. Main bure kirdaaron ko bhi uss tareeke se dekhta hoon.”
