Actor Pankaj Tripathi recently gave fans a glimpse of his playful equation with wife Mridula Tripathi after jokingly calling her out for being distracted by her phone while he was speaking during an event.
A video from the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) has been circulating on social media, showing Pankaj addressing the audience while Mridula sits nearby. At one point, the actor notices that his wife is busy looking at her phone instead of paying attention to him. He then jokingly asks her whom she is texting and points out that she is not listening to what he is saying.
The light-hearted exchange quickly caught the attention of fans, who found the couple’s interaction relatable and amusing. Rather than reacting seriously to Mridula’s distraction, Pankaj appeared to turn the moment into a playful complaint, reflecting the easy-going equation the couple has often displayed in public.
Pankaj and Mridula have been married for more than two decades and have frequently spoken about their relationship, including the challenges they faced before the actor established himself in Bollywood. Their love story began when they were young, and the couple eventually married in 2004. They have a daughter, Aashi.
Mridula has previously spoken candidly about their relationship and the difficulties surrounding their marriage. In earlier interviews, she revealed that their families had reservations about their relationship and that her mother-in-law did not initially accept her because they had chosen to marry for love at a time when such marriages were less common.
The couple’s story has also included a period when Pankaj was struggling to establish himself as an actor. Mridula has spoken about supporting him financially during those years, while Pankaj has acknowledged her contribution to their family and his journey in the entertainment industry.
Their relationship has often been characterised by a mixture of affection, humour and everyday disagreements. In a previous conversation, Mridula revealed that the two sometimes argue over small things, while also stressing that Pankaj’s growing fame did not fundamentally change their relationship.
The latest video offers another example of that dynamic. Pankaj’s playful questioning of his wife for using her phone during his speech is less a serious reprimand and more a glimpse into the familiar banter between a married couple.
The incident took place during Pankaj’s appearance at IFFM Melbourne, where he has been among the Indian film personalities participating in the festival. The actor has recently been in the spotlight for his work in Mirzapur: The Movie, which continues the story of the popular crime franchise.
Pankaj has built a reputation for understated performances and has become one of Hindi cinema’s most respected actors. From Gangs of Wasseypur and Newton to Mimi, Stree and Mirzapur, he has developed a distinctive screen presence while largely maintaining a relatively private personal life.
His relationship with Mridula, however, has occasionally offered fans a more personal glimpse of the actor away from the screen. Their public interactions often reveal a side of Pankaj that is very different from the intense characters he frequently portrays.