Tigmanshu called the film industry an "insecure place" and added, "You need a lot of good friends here because you can't open up. Har aadmi kabhi na kabhi kamzor feel karta hai (Every person feels weak at times). If he expresses his weakness to an acquaintance, they will take advantage of it. But whom do you talk to? (Lekin aap kisse baat karein?) A lot of things your wife can't understand."

He further spoke about the need for a real friend and said, "‘Do dost hote...’ (There should be two friends)... but it has become a problem for me. Which movie should I do? Is the script okay or not? I am going through a bad phase in life. The movie is not working. I am not getting the actor. You have to talk to someone (Ye aapko kisise baat karni hoti hai). When we write a film script, we show a friend of the hero—someone who will talk to him... You need a friend in real life, too. I don't have one right now. I cannot open up to anybody. It’s a problem."

Tigmanshu started his journey in the film industry as a casting director for Bandit Queen. He then went on to act in films like Dil Se, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster, Hero, Shahid, Manjhi – The Mountain Man, and more. He is widely recognised for playing the role of Ramadhir Singh in Anurag Kashyap’s cult classic Gangs of Wasseypur. As a director, he helmed films like Paan Singh Tomar, starring Irrfan Khan, which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film.