Image instagrammed by Abhishek Banerjee. (Courtesy: AbhishekBanerjee)
Abhishek Banerjee is truly having a great year. The actor, who is currently basking in the success of his recent release Apurva, has also won his first Filmfare OTT award in the Best Actor In Comic Role category this year. Abhishek was felicitated for his performance in the 2022 series The Great Wedding Of Munnes. Now after his big win, Abhishek has shed some light on his career in the Indian film Industry. In a conversation with Humans Of Bombay, Abhishek revealed that he was always “a sports guy” and becoming an actor was never his plan. In fact, he candidly talked about how he used to make fun of other “kids in costumes heading to stage”. The Stree star said that while he wasn't sure what he would do in life, his father who was “an army man” thought he would become an engineer. Walking down memory lane, Abhishek said, “Growing up, I was a sports guy! I'd use any reason to leave class & this happened to be it. You'd find me playing football and volleyball; I'd even try high jump. I participated in every sport possible, & with that, I started becoming more social & extroverted. It was exhilarating.”
Abhishek Banerjee added, “But believe it or not, I was not the person I am today. I'd see kids in costumes heading to stage, to sing, dance, or act & find it so pointless. In fact, I'd make fun of them. Obviously, I didn't know better. But then, an artsy teacher decided to give our class a ‘test' - to sing in class!”
Talking about his first performance on stage, Abhishek Banerjee revealed he essayed the role of “Vanvasi Ram in a school play.” Abhishek said that his first performance was an eye-opener for him, as he “felt a high on stage that nothing compared with; surrounded by a sea of actors, applause in the audience – I'd found my passion. Unfortunately, I was still bad at it then. So, I left it on the back burner for the time being.”
But it was not until his father was transferred to Delhi that Abhishek's love for acting gained direction. He said, “But dad, an army man, got transferred to Delhi and we moved along with him.” Abhishek revealed that he felt the sports environment in Delhi was a bit “harsh and aggressive”, completely opposite to what he used to do. However, he still wasn't interested in attending the classes so he found his answers in theatre. He said, “I still wanted to avoid class… the answer was theatre. Slowly, with every skit & play, I got better. Mum encouraged me every step of the way, but Dad didn't care. He thought it was a pointless passion. Besides, I would ‘be an engineer.'”
Abhishek Banerjee said, “Somehow, I reached the end of high school. Years of avoiding class had resulted in low marks and I wasn't sure what I'd do in life. But one day, as I anchored an event, an irritated teacher said, ‘You're only good for this.' Others might get insulted, but to me, it was a sign! I went on to get into Kirori Mal College through an acting audition – the same college as Amitabh Bachchan!”
The Bhediya star concluded by saying, “Little did I know that one move was going to change the trajectory of my life. Little did I know that I'd end up playing a small role in Rang De Basanti… That one day I'd move to Bombay, work as a casting director, & start my own casting company. That I'd be breaking into acting, or that I'd be known as ‘Janna' from Stree, ‘Compounder' from Mirzapur, and ‘Hathoda' from Paatal Lok. That I'd be making dad ‘kinda proud.' I was too busy enjoying the applause on my 1st college play. This was just the beginning…”
Following his Filmfare win, Abhishek Banerjee shared an image with the coveted trophy and wrote: “I am in love. Kyunki finally MUNNES ko ladki mil gayi…black lady is all mine...best actor in a comic role for #thegreatweddingofmunnes‼️ My childhood dream of holding a Filmfare trophy comes true today..."
Abhishek Banerjee was last seen in Tara Sutaria's Apurva. He will be seen in Stree 2.