When a cop recognised Munna Bhaiya: Divyenndu shares his Mirzapur story

For actor Divyenndu, playing Munna Bhaiya in Mirzapur has had its share of unexpected perks. The actor, who brought the volatile and unpredictable Munna Tripathi to life, says the character has occasionally helped him navigate situations in real life, especially when an encounter with an overenthusiastic fan gets a little overwhelming.Speaking at the India Today Conclave 2026 during a session titled The Iconic Villain of Mirzapur Everyone Love on Saturday, the 43-year-old shared an anecdote from a shoot in Lucknow during the CAA protests. The crew had been asked to wrap up and return to their hotel as the situation was getting tense. Their hotel was barely 200 metres away, but a barricade stood in their way."The driver told them that, 'Saamne hi hotel hai, humko yahi par jana hai.' And he said, 'No, no, take a U-turn and just run away.' And I just rolled down the window and I said, 'Sir, sir, please, can we just go, it's right there.' He said, 'Oh, Munna Tripathi hai, khol do [Oh, Munna Tripathi is here. Let them go].' And there were no pleasantries exchanged, nothing. And it happened. I looked at everyone, everyone looked at me," the actor recalled.The incident was not the only time the character came in handy. Divyenndu said he sometimes has to draw on Munna's intimidating persona when fans get too carried away while expressing their affection. "It saves me from a lot of trouble. The kind of characters you meet at times during film shoots and when you go to far-off places – it's their love only, they want to express – but at times, it gets a little too much sometimes. And at that time, I have to switch on my internal Munna and give them a look, and they know, 'lay off'," he said.It is a curious afterlife for a character whose appeal rests on his unpredictability, aggression and appetite for power. Yet, Munna has become one of the most recognisable characters in the Mirzapur universe, with audiences continuing to respond to him even beyond the series. That popularity was evident when Divyenndu returned as Munna Tripathi in Mirzapur: The Movie. Released in theatres on September 4, the film brought the show's familiar characters to the big screen, with Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Rasika Dugal and Divyenndu among the returning cast. Its ensemble of memorable characters and their established rivalries helped carry the franchise's appeal into cinemas.The film also found considerable commercial success. According to box-office estimates reported by The Times of India, Mirzapur: The Movie had collected around Rs 334.62 crore worldwide by its 31st day, underlining the audience interest in the franchise's transition from streaming to the big screen.For Divyenndu, however, the conversation around the success of Mirzapur extends beyond a single character or franchise. It also points to a larger shift in how Indian stories are being told, and the role OTT platforms have played in pushing filmmakers to move beyond familiar formulas.How OTT changed the rules of storytellingAsked whether the industry should thank OTT for changing cinema, Divyenndu said the medium had taken the language of filmmaking forward by creating space for stories and characters that did not necessarily fit the conventional mould.He compared the formula-driven films of an earlier era to a fixed meal, in which audiences could almost predict what would arrive next."There was a time in our film industry where our films used to sound like a set thaali - do sabzi, ek daal, ek achaar, ek papad, rice, chapati [a set meal with 2 vegetables, daal, pickle, papad, rice and chapati] – everything that you will get. This-this scene, end mein gaana milega, ek ladki hogi jo dance number karegi [and at the end, you will see a girl in a dance number]," he said.According to the actor, the arrival of OTT challenged that predictable approach and made room for more authentic storytelling."Thankfully, OTT came and said, 'Nothing's happening.' We need real stories, real characters. We need real directors. And that's why people love it," he said.For Divyenndu, the change has also raised the bar for what audiences expect from entertainment. The availability of content across platforms does not automatically translate into viewership, he pointed out. Audiences are increasingly discerning about what they choose to watch, and authenticity remains an important factor."That's why not everything on OTT works. People don't watch just anything. They know what sounds authentic, what really entertains them. I think any kind of originality is really priced today on OTT and on the big screen," he added.The shift is significant for an actor whose career has included characters that thrive on specificity rather than conventional heroism. Munna Tripathi, with his impulsive behaviour and complicated family dynamics, is a very different proposition from the familiar Hindi-film hero. His popularity is also a reminder that audiences can connect with flawed, often morally questionable characters when they are written and performed with conviction.OTT has given such characters more room to develop, allowing stories to unfold over several episodes and relationships to grow beyond the limits of a conventional feature film. The success of Mirzapur also demonstrates how a streaming series can build a loyal audience around an ensemble, rather than relying on a single lead character.Divyenndu's work beyond Munna BhaiyaWhile Munna Tripathi remains one of Divyenndu's most popular roles, the actor has worked across genres in both cinema and OTT. He first became widely known for playing Liquid in Pyaar Ka Punchnama and subsequently appeared in films such as Chashme Baddoor, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Batti Gul Meter Chalu and Madgaon Express.On streaming platforms, apart from Mirzapur, he has been seen in projects such as Life Hill Gayi and Glory.For an actor who has moved between comedy, drama, crime and action, the challenge has been to avoid being confined to one successful character. Munna Bhaiya may continue to follow him into real-life encounters, but Divyenndu's wider body of work reflects a career that extends well beyond the world of Mirzapur.- Ends