MUMBAI: Acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi says he has spent days with cheats and alcoholics, and added that one starts valuing the good only when one has seen the bad.

"Maine thugon ko, chandaalon ko, lekhakon ko, vidhwano ko aas paas dekha hai. Bade bade sharabiyon ke saath din guzare hain aur un sabne milke banaya hai (I have spent days with cheats, low-life people, writers, educationists and even alcoholics. They have made me what I am). They were the people who made me the person I am today," he asserted.

Pankaj, who has tasted the highs of highs with his work in projects like "Sacred Games", "Mirzapur", "Bareilly Ki Barfi", "Gangs Of Wasseypur" and "Luka Chuppi" among many others, shares details about how he values every success in his life.

"The value of good happens only when we have seen the bad. I have seen the worst and best of times over the last decade, which is why every success, every joy is of so much value," he shared.

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Amid the lockdown, Pankaj realised "if bad has happened, it is inevitable that it gets better".

"I still think of my brief jail stint where I was surrounded by all kinds of people and I had an epiphany that I needed to make something better of my life. Every experience is nature's way to ask you to better yourself. Look for that sign!" he said.

On the acting front, he is gearing up for the release of "Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl" starring Janhvi Kapoor.

"Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl" is inspired by the life of Indian Air Force combat pilot Gunjan Saxena, and stars Janhvi in the titular role. Saxena entered the war zone during the 1999 Kargil War.

He will also be seen in Kabir Khan's "83".

Also read: Pankaj Tripathi on OTT release of films: Want performance to reach many through any medium