Justin Rao sits down with Divyenndu for a conversation about Mirzapur: The Movie, returning as Munna Tripathi and the audience response to taking the series to the big screen. Divyenndu recalls his anxiety about revisiting Munna, why he stopped rewatching his old performance and trusted his instincts, and the loneliness and need for validation beneath the character's volatile exterior.
He discusses improvising without losing sight of the scene, reuniting with the ensemble and his friendship with Abhishek Banerjee, which began in college theatre long before they became Munna and Compounder. From his training at FTII to his breakthrough in Pyaar Ka Punchnama, Divyenndu reflects on the gap between his ambitions for independent cinema and being offered only comedy roles.
He speaks candidly about turning down sex comedies despite financial uncertainty, the support he received from his wife and why he values preparation over constant publicity. Justin and Divyenndu also discuss the freedom of moving between projects such as The Railway Men, Agni and Madgaon Express, the realities facing aspiring actors, and finding confidence through training. The conversation closes with an update on Madgaon Express 2, the possibility of another Mirzapur film and why audiences need to support new filmmakers.