The ‘Pankaj Tripathi Model’ of success via new distribution… startup’s playbook to hunt the giants!
Year 2012 - movie is called Agneepath.
It’s the story of the main protagonist, Hrithik Roshan, who is out to revenge the wrongs committed to him by the villain, played by Sanjay Dutt.
In one part of the movie, the villain sends a side-kick to kill the hero. But as you expect, the hero gets the better of the situation and in turn kills the sidekick.
Who was the sidekick?….. Pankaj Tripathi - a mid-aged actor with nothing particular standing out about him. His total screen time is barely a few minutes, easy to miss if you took a long popcorn break.
Fast forward 11 years and you have another movie - OMG2. Another mainstream Bollywood movie about a man and his relationship with his god.
A proper big budget movie releasing in theaters. Who is the main protagonist here - it's the sidekick - Pankaj Tripathi!
Today his professional income will put many Bollywood A-listers to shame. And has secured an impressive bunch of brand endorsement deals too!
Is he good? Yes. Is this a welcome trend? YES. Would this have been possible just 10 yrs back? HIGHLY UNLIKELY.
And why?
Tripathi's success did not stem from the traditional route of Bollywood movies. Instead, he found fame through an alternative entertainment distribution channel - OTTs, starring in series like "Mirzapur" and "Criminal Justice".
These platforms, nonexistent a decade ago, open the door for talent that doesn't fit the typical Bollywood hero mould.
Tripathi isn't the only actor to benefit. Vikram Massey, Manoj Bajpayee, and Jaideep Ahlawat have achieved mainstream success, challenging traditional Bollywood A-listers.
This trend mirrors the success of many startups that found their niche on the internet, to target the big revenue pools dominated by traditional companies.
Ex. Physicswallah - found their stardom as a YT channel to build the heft & brand required to go after the much bigger offline revenue pools of test prep.
Top D2C brands like Mama Earth, Nykaa, Sugar, and Caratlane have also followed a similar playbook.
Today you have alternative channels that allow newbies to challenge the dominant giants and their traditional hold.
What many startups need is not a ‘new product’ but a new ‘distribution channel’. Something that allows them to gain enough strength to then go after the big boys.
Let's call it the ‘Pankaj Tripathi Model’!!!
PS: I think IPL is also offering a similar parallel channel for cricketing talent.