TVF's Panchayat star Pankaj Jha talked about his near-casting in Gangs of Wasseypur in an interview with Digital Commentary. Though Jha was a strong contender to play Sultan Qureshi, a key role in the movie, Pankaj Tripathi prevailed.

Fans and critics adore Gangs of Wasseypur directed by Anurag Kashyap. Working with Kashyap in Gulaal and Black Friday, Jha talked about how this collaboration worked out. When he got the offer in Patna while filming, he promised to come back two days later. When he got back, Tripathi was cast.

When questioned whether behind-the-scenes politics hurt him, Jha denied feeling angry. He claimed that allowing such incidents to annoy him would allow the 'backstabbers' to prevail. Though the hosts argued that playing Sultan may have transformed Jha's career route like it did for Tripathi, Jha was happy with his job path and refused to dwell on the past.

In describing himself as a "director-making actor," Jha made clear that Gulaal and Satya mold both performers and filmmakers. "There are so many timid and spineless people here that they can't even keep their word," he said, lamenting the dishonesty of the business. "I have no complaints against anybody and still love Anurag very much," he said. His opponent is not Kashyap.

NSD graduate Jha rose to fame with Panchayat. His career was established with the 2001 Mira Nair film Monsoon Wedding and went on to include Company (2002), Matrubhoomi (2003), Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003), and Anwar (2007). Jha claimed that Tripathi took another actor's footwear and overstated his issues.