Actor Pankaj Tripathi’s wife, Mridula Tripathi, shared insights into their simple lifestyle, despite his rising fame. She emphasised that their way of living remains unchanged, revealing that they still do not own a microwave.
Mridula shared that they often argue over basic things, such as buying plastic boxes, and she feels comfortable calling him on set to ask where things are at home.
In an interview with YouTuber Atul Taishete, Mridula recounted their early days in Mumbai when she was the primary breadwinner while Pankaj was still establishing his career. It was mutually decided that she would support the family financially. Later when Pankaj started working, she mainly took care of their daughter, although he was always supportive. She noted that he always responds to her calls, even if he is preparing for a shot, and calls back when he has time. She humorously added that her questions often concern mundane household matters.
Mridula stated that stardom has not changed Pankaj, who still prefers wearing khaadi clothes. She recounted how he sometimes jokes about being a star and deserving respect, to which she responds with a stern look. However, they have had significant disagreements about the use of plastic, as Pankaj is environmentally conscious and advises against buying plastic containers. Mridula expressed her frustration, mentioning that they need containers to manage the household and these arguments were among ‘the happiest moments’ of her life.
“He doesn’t know how to run a house; we can’t just live off one kind of daal and some rice. We need containers! We would have massive fights about buying plastic containers. These were the happiest moments of my life,” she said.
She also shared that they still do not have a microwave, as Pankaj believes they emit harmful waves, so they heat food on the stove. Additionally, they had disputes over installing an air conditioner in their bungalow due to humidity, but eventually agreed to it.
“We still don’t have a microwave. Can you believe it? He believes they emit waves that are harmful. If we have to heat food, we do it on the stove. No microwaves. We have fought over installing an air conditioner in our bungalow! Our house in the city has a lot of cross-ventilation, so it was never a big problem there. But in the bungalow, it’s humid. We’ve fought so much about this. One day, he was sitting quietly and sweating, and that’s when I told him, ‘Want to get that AC now?’ And he agreed,” she added.
Mridula now works as Pankaj’s manager, a role she learnt through experience. The couple, married since 2004, has a daughter. Pankaj was last seen in the film Stree 2, featuring Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor.
