Pankaj Tripathi On Returning For Another Season Of Criminal Justice

After two gripping seasons of  Criminal  Justice, Applause Entertainment is back with an even more engaging third season, not because the Franchise is a hit. But because  there is  a genuinely  powerful story to tell.

 The very talented Common Man’s uncommonly  astute actor  Pankaj Tripathy who plays  the  ostensibly   naïve   Bihari lawayer Madhav Mishra  is here assigned  to defend a 17-year old boy who is  accused of killing his 14-year old stepsister.

  This time the stakes seem  completely weighed  against Madhav.

“But that’s the way he enjoys his work as a lawyer. For Madhav Mishra the more complicated the case  seems, the  easier it is for him to feel challenged and  useful.Madhav doesn’t only want to win he also wants to change the legal  system.He is ambitious. And much more capable than  people think him to be,” says the  versatile Pankaj last seen as  a village  simpleton ready to be devoured  by a tiger for urgently needed  money in  Srijit  Mukherjee’s Sherdil: The Pilbhit Saga.

In real life Pankaj doesn’t need to work  for money any more. “I can now say no to roles that don’t challenge me.By God’s grace ,I have a beautiful home in Madh Island for my family.”

Pankaj  says Criminal  Justice is special. “Among all the  films and series I have done,  Criminal Justice gives  me the maximum satisfaction as an actor. In this  role  of  the lawyer  Madhav Mishra  I behave  in character. I don’t have to act all the time for the camera. Hamare  yahan aaj bhi cheehkne chilaane  ko acha acting kehte hain. Zyaadatar waise roles ke  liye awards milte hain. (We consider  screaming shouting  to be good acting and give awards to such  performances).In Criminal Justice I have  remained  with the  character throughout.”

Pankaj sees  Madhav Mishra  as  an ambitious idealistic very  quiet smalltowner  trapped in the urban jungle. “ Madhav Mishra  is  such a sad sack. He  is constantly seeking to assert himself,  place  himself above the inconsequential space allotted  to him  by life. For  a change I don’t act as  Madhav Mishra. I behave. That is to say I remain in character throughout not  resorting to histrionics  to  get noticed. I love my character  of  the lawyer Madhav Mishra. He is  a common  workingclass man, your Everyman, a lawyer  whose inherent sense of selfworth and  dignity in spite of handing seedy  cases,keep him from derailing  from his moral track.”

Actor Pankaj Tripathi, decoding Madhav Mishra’s essence, said, “What makes Madhav Mishra relatable to audiences is that he comes across as everybody’s lawyer. His ability to simplify difficult concepts makes the one who is seeking counsel at ease. In Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach, he becomes a versatile lawyer taking on different tasks for the client whose intent he’s unsure of. I’m extremely happy to come back as Madhav Mishra in the brand new season of Criminal Justice.”

Pankaj admits that dealing with a juvenile accused made  the third season  of Criminal Justice which starts   streaming on  Disney+Hotstar  from  August 26,trickier than the first two seasons. “It is a child’s life at stake . At the same time he cannot be treated  softly  if he has really committed a crime.This time the  situation is  far more slippery.”