Even after years of complex performances, Pankaj Tripathi speaks about his work with a simplicity that feels almost old-fashioned. When he talks about his next film, Parivarik Manoranjan, you can sense a quiet pride in his voice. “It’s a very beautiful story,” he says, smiling. “It’s not a big drama, there are no loud twists. It’s like slow cooking. You’ll like those small moments that stay with you even after the film ends.”

The film brings him closer to an unexpected co-actor, Aditi Rao Hydari. He says it has been a joy, especially since they come from two different worlds. “Aditi is sincere and hardworking. I saw one of her scenes and was genuinely surprised by how beautiful it was — so natural, so effortless. It’s always nice when a co-actor makes you feel that way.” The film, produced by Ali Abbas Zafar and written by Vijay Kala and Varun V Sharma, who is also directing it, takes Tripathi back to the rhythm of the everyday. “It reminded me of Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s brand of cinema — small, human stories about life as it is. Parivarik Manoranjan is like that. It’s just honest.”