Abhishek Banerjee Talks About Getting A Wake-Up Call About The Nepotism Debate, Says "It Has Nothing To Do With Films But...

NDTV

a day ago

New Delhi:
Abhishek Banerjee is currently basking in the humongous success of his latest release Stolen. The Karan Tejpal directorial debut is a taut survival thriller that has got the internet talking about what is being touted as one of Banerjee's best performances to date.
Abhishek began his acting career back in Delhi theatre, and his first appearance was in the 2006 film Rang De Basanti. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, the actor reacts to whether he gets perturbed or finds it flattering that his fans keep going back to his minute role as a college student in the Aamir Khan film.
What's Happening
Abhishek Banerjee has come a long way since his first film appearance in Rang De Basanti. However, every time one of his films or series does well, he is invariably reminded of the film.
In a candid conversation with NDTV, Abhishek spoke about how it does feel nice that people remember. However, he also feels that it adds unnecessary melodrama to this whole debate about "struggle."
He says, " Rang De Basanti was just college fun. That was not a struggle. We were just part of the film because one of our seniors was a part of that film and he called us. And if you see, Shubham (who played Raman in Stolen) is also in the film. We were just having fun."
Adding more depth to how his journey came to be, he emphasizes that it has been an uphill task. But he was never made to feel less about his worth as an actor. At that time, it was all about moving from one point to the other.
Banerjee shares, "Then the whole idea of coming to Bombay and visualizing a career in the film industry was an uphill task. But it went from point A to point B to Point C, and that is the way it is supposed to go. I have never felt that I have not been given my worth as an actor. I always wanted to be financially secure. So I've worked for it. It takes time. So coming back to the whole how far I have reached since Rang De Basanti, the youth needs to relax because what happens is that the fear kills them. That is why the nepotism debates happen, their starting point is very different from our starting point and it has nothing to do with films, it has to do with class. It has to do with your social economic status. And that was a big wake-up call for me."
About Rang De Basanti
The Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra directorial is a story about six young Indians who get together to help an English woman who wants to make a documentary on the freedom fighters of India. They join this woman on her journey to film a hard-hitting cinematic piece. It showcases the historical events that make this gang revisit the past and relive the long-forgotten tale of patriotism that led to India's freedom.
In A Nutshell
Abhishek Banerjee is currently being hailed for his performance in Stolen. He reacts to his fans always speaking about his role as a college student auditioning for a documentary in Rang De Basanti. He highlights his journey on the road to success, and how sometimes comparing where he began to where it has led to, adds unnecessary drama to the struggle period.