Pankaj Tripathi has been bestowed with a special honour. The actor has been appointed as the Festival Ambassador for the Arunachal Rang Mahotsav 2024 (ARM ’24). ICYDK: the Arunachal Rang Mahotsav is the largest international theatre festival in Northeast India. The event celebrates Arunachal Pradesh’s creative talent and rich cultural heritage. Scheduled to be held from November 22 to December 5, the 15-day ceremony will welcome Pankaj Tripathi and his wife Mridula as honorary attendees. 

Sharing his joy on being appointed as the Festival Ambassador, Pankaj Tripathi said, “It is a great honour for me to be associated with the Arunachal Rang Mahotsav 2024 as its Festival Ambassador. Theatre holds a very special place in my heart, as it was my first teacher and my first love of the performing arts. I owe everything I am today to the lessons I learned on the stage and the passion I developed for storytelling during my early days in Gopalganj, performing street plays and rangmanch.”

Highlighting the importance of hosting such a grand ceremony, Pankaj Tripathi added, “To see a festival like Arunachal Rang Mahotsav celebrating the power and beauty of theatre, especially in the culturally rich and vibrant region of Arunachal Pradesh, is inspiring. This platform not only honours the traditional and contemporary performing arts of the region but also provides a dynamic space for artists from across the world to collaborate and showcase their work.”

Pankaj Tripathi also revealed that he was “excited” to witness some aspects of the festival. Elaborating on the topic, the actor said, “I am particularly excited about the festival’s emphasis on Arunachal’s oral folklore traditions, martial art forms, and local performing arts, which are an essential part of our cultural fabric. The fusion of these traditional elements with modern theatre practices makes this festival a unique and transformative experience. I believe theatre has the power to connect people, transcend barriers, and create a deeper understanding of our shared humanity. I look forward to witnessing and celebrating the magic of performances at ARM ’24.”

Workwise, Pankaj Tripathi was last seen in director Amar Kaushik’s Stree 2. The horror comedy also featured Rajkummar Rao and Shraddha Kapoor in the lead.