Rajinikanth was my first hero: ‘Paatal Lok’ actor Abhishek Banerjee

Abhishek Banerjee, who impressed fans with his effective performance in Stree, is gearing up for the release of the much-hyped Paatal Lok. Speaking exclusively to DH, the actor opens up about playing an intense character in the Amazon Prime Video offering and his love for Rajinikanth.

How did Paatal Lok happen?

Sudip sir (Sudip Sharma) got in touch with me after watching Stree and asked me to audition for Hathoda Tyagi. I gave it a shot and things worked out. This is quite a different character from the ones I have essayed in the past.

How did you prepare for the show?

I tried to understand the reasons behind the crimes (committed by the character). I also tried to figure out the socio-political aspects of Paatal Lok. The workshop organized for us helped me get drawn to the angst of the character. I also tend to rely on my gut feeling while preparing for role.

What do you like about Anushka Sharma as a producer?

Anushka is not calculative at all and takes up a project only because she is passionate about it. She loves choosing real subjects that are deeply rooted in Indian culture.

How did the acting bug bite you?

I watched (Satyajit) Ray movies as a kid but Rajinikanth was my actual first hero. Arunachalam was the first Rajini movie that I watched. Then there was a shift towards Bollywood after I watched Amitabh Bachchan’s Hum and became a Big B fan. This prompted me to take up mimicry and that’s how things started.

Please tell us about your initial days in the industry.

I don’t view consider them to be my struggling days as they were a part of the learning curve. I worked on casting for movies and utilized the time well.

Do you feel you will not get wide patronage if you do dark shows in the coming days as well?

I feel that if you do good work it will ultimately reach a wide audience. For example, if a movie does not do well in theatres it might still reach an audience on TV.

How are you coping with the COVID-19 crisis?

I am taking it in and trying to divert (not think about it too much) as much as possible.