MUMBAI: Actor Pankaj Tripathi has been earning laurels with every role. Today, he is considered as one of the most versatile actors of the industry. According to him, it's theatre that helped him to become successfulartiste.

On World Theatre Day, Pankaj recalled how he grew up watching plays and how he got admitted to National School of Drama,Delhi.

"I didn't know what I was made for but I knew I had a connection with acting. I went on to reluctantly do a hotel management course, but in my heart there was a passion ignited for acting. I didn't enjoy anything else as much and couldn't be consistent at other things. I started doing plays in Patna but the culture for performance arts wasn't there. The pay was measly.

"I knew I had to pursue NSD. Initially I was rejected twice but turned out to be lucky the third time. It was Andha Kuan that was my trigger. Had I never watched that, I wouldn't have known how wonderful the world of stories is. It made me want to train in acting. Till then it was hobby but after that I was a new person who studied hard to get here," Pankaj said.

His life changed after watching the play, "Andha Kuan".

"My life completely changed after watching the play Andha Kuan, it had a powerful monologue by actress Pramita Jaiswal, listening to that monologue I started to cry.

" It was then I realized that how powerful this medium drama is. I never experienced anything such before in my life. It prompted me strongly within to pursue acting as a profession even more," Pankaj added.

Pankaj started his journey in Hindi filmdom with a blink-and-miss roles in movies such as "Run" (2004), and later made an impact with his craft only with roles in "Gangs Of Wasseypur", "Sacred Games" and "Mirzapur".