India, Feb. 17 -- The Multipurpose Hall at North Campus' Rugby Stadium during the first edition of Delhi University's Literature Festival was packed to the rafters well before actor Pankaj Tripathi arrived for a session titled Nautanki. The moment he stepped in, the crowd erupted into chants of Kaleen Bhaiya.

Amid the thunderous cheers, he took the mic, smiled and said, "Mirzapur sabhi ne dekha hai, sabko hi bahut pasand hai. Ab Mirzapur ki film ban rahi hai, shooting almost done hai."

Hoots and applause echoed through the hall across the session. Delivering some of his most-loved dialogues on popular demand and slipping in nuggets of wisdom between the laughter, the 49-year-old kept the audience thoroughly entertained in a lively, free...