When Sherdil was offered to me, I jumped at the idea, says Pankaj Tripathi

Pankaj Tripathi recently started shooting for well-known Bengali filmmaker Srijit Mukherji’s Hindi project Sherdil (2022). The film is based on the man-nature conflict and is being shot in the jungles of the Dooars in West Bengal. The film was supposed to go on the floors last year, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a postponement.

Sharing his experience of working with Mukherji, Tripathi said, “Srijit is a fabulous director. He needs no introduction. His work speaks for itself. When Sherdil was offered to me, I jumped at the idea. The story has a definite character in itself. It is a beautifully written script and I trust Srijit to bring each character to life convincingly. That's his USP.”

Mukherji got the idea for the film after reading a news report about locals at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh encouraging the elderly in their families to fall prey to tigers so that they can receive compensation from the government. The film sees Tripathi play the character of Gangaram, the chief of a village.

Mukherji added, “Pankaj Tripathi is one of the finest actors in the country today. Having him on set is half the battle won! He is always excited to try new things and improvise when need be. He is a director's delight.”

Produced by Reliance Entertainment and T-Series, Sherdil also stars Sayani Gupta and Neeraj Kabi.