Pankaj Tripathi's father, Pandit Banaras Tiwari, passes away at 99; last rites will be performed today

Well-known actor Pankaj Tripathi's father, Pandit Banaras Tiwari, passed away on Monday at the age of 99. The final rites will be performed on Monday with family and close friends.

The 'OMG 2' star's representative confirmed the news in an official statement.

The statement read, "With a heavy heart, we confirm the passing of Pankaj Tripathi's father, Pandit Banaras Tiwari, who lived a full life of 99 years."


The actor also said in the statement that the last rites will be performed later in the day in the presence of family in Tripathi's Belsand village in Gopalganj, Bihar.

According to several reports, Tiwari was filming a project in Uttarakhand when he received the news. After the news broke, he rushed to his hometown in Gopalganj, Bihar.

"His family will be conducting his last rites today, surrounded by close relatives. Pankaj Tripathi is currently on his way to his village in Gopalganj," the statement said.


In several interviews, the 'Criminal Justice’ star has fondly spoken about his parents and his farming roots.

Tiwari's recent release, 'OMG 2', has been enjoying a glowing box office success. The Akshay Kumar and Yami Gautam-starrer has collected an impressive Rs 113.67 crore on the tenth day since its release on August 11.

Hailing from Gopalganj, the National Award-winning actor studied acting at the National School of Drama in New Delhi before coming to Mumbai in 2004. His journey began with an uncredited role in the film 'Run' (2004), followed by minor appearances in movies like 'Raavan' (2010), 'Agneepath' (2012), and select television series like 'Powder'.

His breakthrough performance came with the role of Sultan in director Anurag Kashyap's 'Gangs of Wasseypur' in 2012. Pankaj went on to star in notable films like 'Fukrey' (2013), 'Masaan' (2015), 'Nil Battey Sannata' (2016), 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' (2017), 'Newton' (2017), 'Stree' (2018), and 'Ludo' and 'Mimi' (2021).

Tiwari has also been the lead in several prominent web series, such as 'Mirzapur', 'Criminal Justice' franchise and 'Yours Truly', among others.