Pankaj Tripathi is a powerhouse performer and there is no doubt about it. He also commands a huge fan base despite not being a proverbial hero in films. Now, the actor is faced with a dilemma where his name and face is being used to promote a film by director Kamlesh K Mishra. Mishra’s films Azamgarh is based on some real incidents related to terrorism where Pankaj has a small role as a Maulvi. The posters of the upcoming film feature the actor in a Maulvi’s getup who leads the youth on the path of terrorism. The film is releasing on OTT and apparently Pankaj did not know anything about its release and he got livid with the fact that his name is being used to promote it. The actor wants to take legal action against the makers. Pankaj had short for the film five years ago in a short cameo role but it could not release on time.
Reportedly, Pankaj was unaware about the film’s release and only got to know about it when he saw the hoardings of the film put up everywhere. The actor feels that it would reflect badly if his name is associated with a film like Azamgarh when he is working on some of the most highly-awaited films like Oh My God 2, Main Atal Hoon etc. According to sources, Pankaj was told that this is a short film and he shot for it only for three days. However, now the makers are using his name to promote the film as if he is the leading hero in it. As per sources, Pankaj does not want such ‘cheap popularity’ and had even worked on the film without taking any remuneration. Reportedly, Pankaj has said that he does not want Azamgarh makers to use his name to promote the film but if they don’t agree he will resort to legal action against them. As per the actor, since he has a small role in the film, the way his face is being shown prominently on the poster is wrong.
Chitrakoot ,new Link Road , Andheri West Mumbai AZAMGARH . Pankaj Tripathi’s pic.twitter.com/a9dtYAwDHG
— Mask TV (@MaskTVott) February 22, 2023
Azamgarh is the directorial debut of Kamlesh Mishra and was selected in three major film festivals in the US. He has also won the National Film Award for his documentary film Madhubani: The Station of Colors and was a finalist in the Seattle Film Festival and a semi-finalist in the DC South Asian Film Festival.
It is slated to release on OTT on Mask TV and features debutant Anuj Sharma, who plays a young boy embroiled in terrorist activities. The 90-minute film spans from year 2001 to 2008 when India, America and Europe were shaken by big terror attacks. Although the film was shot in 2018, it could not release in theatres due to the Covid-19 pandemic. OTT Creative Head of Mask TV, Sanjay Bhatt said that through the film, the makers have tried to show that not everyone living in Azamgarh is a terrorist. The film is produced by Chiranjeevi Bhatt and Anju Bhatt.
(Source: India Today)
