Famous actor Pankaj Tripathi is guest of honour at India Day Parade in New York

NEW YORK, August 17: Actor Pankaj Tripathi says India’s message ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and the country’s rich cultural heritage will be showcased at a mega parade in the US city to mark the country’s 78th Independence Day.
Tripathi is in New York and will be the guest of honour at the 42nd India Day Parade, organised by leading diaspora organisation Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT-NE (FIA) on Sunday on Madison Avenue in the heart of Manhattan.
Tripathi said it is a moment of pride for him that the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ and India’s rich cultural heritage is being highlighted during the parade.
“We will take our message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to the people here in the US,” the “Stree 2” actor told PTI.
The annual parade makes its way down New York City’s popular Madison Avenue and is attended by thousands of members of the Indian diaspora.
India’s rich cultural heritage, traditions and achievements are highlighted during the annual parade, which sees the city’s Madison Avenue decorated in the colours of the Indian flag and Indian patriotic and popular songs performed in a festive atmosphere.
Besides Tripathi, actor and politician Manoj Tiwari will be the guest of honour at the parade, while actor Sonakshi Sinha will be the grand marshal and her husband and actor Zaheer Iqbal will be the VIP guest.
Tripathi added that the world is now a global village and cinema is that soft power that “showcases our stories, heritage and culture to the world.”
“Our stories and content have reached all corners of the world, and people in the US are experiencing them too, thanks to dubbing and subtitling in multiple languages.
“Cinema in particular is a powerful medium – a soft power that allows us to share our culture and heritage with the world. It is a testament to our skill and creativity that we can showcase our culture so effectively,” the 47-year-old actor said.
The National Award-winning actor has won numerous accolades for his performances, including in films like ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Mimi’, ‘Stree’ and ‘Stree 2’ and in the web series ‘Criminal Justice’ and ‘Mirzapur’, in which his character ‘Kaleen Bhaiya’ has a huge fan base among the audience.
Tripathi said he plans to come to the US in October for shows in about eight different cities where he will perform live.
“I’m heading back to the US in October for a busy schedule of recording and live performances. I have about 8-9 shows scheduled to be filmed here and I’ll be performing live in 8 different cities across the country.
“This is something I have always wanted to do: take our plays to an international audience and interact with them personally,” he added. (PTI)