New Delhi, April 21 (IANS): Actor Pankaj Tripathi feels that an actor should maintain a balance between both commercial and off-beat cinema. He says where commercial films give a chance to actors to showcase their talent to a wide audience, indie films help actors to fulfill their dreams of doing something for their society.

“I like working in both commercial and off-beat cinema. Commercial films have a much wider reach. They are shown across the world. For 'Dilwale', I used to get messages from Romania and Greece. Through commercial cinema, your work reaches to wider audience,” Pankaj told IANS.

In a decade old career, Pankaj has worked in various types of films like “Apaharan”, “Agneepath”, “Gangs of Wasseypur”, “Fukrey”, “Manjhi: The Mountain Man” and “Masaan”.

“People in my village only get to see commercial cinema. I come from a small village in Bihar. There people only get to see Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan films. Films like 'Masaan' and 'Manjhi - The Mountain Man' don't get screened there,” Pankaj said.

“Being an artist, you need to maintain a balance between both commercial and off-beat cinema. Reaching to a wider audience to showcase my talent is not only my liability. I also want to do films which are in favour of the society. Off-beat cinema fulfills our societal dreams,” he added.

Pankaj will next be seen in “Nil Battey Sannata”, which is slated to release on Friday.

“'Nil Battey Sannata' is a very inspiring story. Its kind of a film that will make you laugh and cry. It will inspire them that everything is possible in life. 

“Usually we don't get to see a single mother stories in Bollywood. It has nothing larger-than-life and is a meaningful cinema,” Pankaj said.

He added that he will be handling the “entertaining quotient” in the film through his character. 

“Those who have studied in government schools will recall their childhood memories through my role. I'm playing the principal of a school,” he said.

The film also features Swara Bhaskar and Ratna Pathak Shah.