Amitabh Bachchan scolded me like a teacher: Abhishek Banerjee

Casting director turned actor Abhishek Banerjee started his acting stint with comic characters in films like Stree and Dream Girl. He then went on to show his range with antagonistic characters in Paatal Lok and the most recent Apurva. Yet, he feels there is a lot left to explore in him as an actor. He says, “It’s very easy to stereotype actors in comedy or serious genres. But I want to do more drama and portray characters that are more complex and not unidimensional.”
The actor has worked alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, and up next, he will be sharing screen with actor Amitabh Bachchan in Section 84. Having already shot with him, Banerjee calls his experience with Bachchan a “masterclass”. He asserts, “I never went to any acting school. So, for me, Mr Bachchan has been my Dronacharya. Just being with him showed me that no matter how big a star you become, you need to stick to the basics. He is always rehearsing his lines with so much excitement. He seems like a baby on set.”
The 38-year-old informs that he got a scolding from Bachchan during their first meeting. He reveals, “The first time I went and tried to touch his feet, he scolded me like a teacher and said ‘Don’t do that’.” Bannerjee felt paranoid thinking he has spoilt his first impression, but eventually they connected. The Stree actor also asked Bachchan why he didn’t like him touching his feet. “He said because he wants to be an equal. Some might think of it as pretence, but as an actor I can see that beyond all the stardom, at the core he is still an actor who wants to be respectful to his co-actors,” he insists.
This year, Banerjee revives one of his most-loved characters Jana in Stree 2. He says excitedly, “Jana has become my second name now. It has given me a lot. I have played Jana thrice in 6 years of my acting career. The challenge now for me is if it would be that engaging or not.”
The film marks his reunion with actors RajKummar Rao, Shraddha Kapoor and Aparshakti Khurana, and Banerjee credits director Amar Kaushik for the amazing experience they had on set. “It all depends on the captain of the ship and Amar is a director that you just want to be on his set. It is so much fun and creatively flowing,” he says, adding, “Raj, Apar, me and Shraddha have been so close since we shot for Stree and it was like a college reunion. Every time we are on the set of Stree, we just discuss when will the next part happen. In our minds, we are already set for Stree 3.”