Meet Abhishek Banerjee: In front of and behind the camera

It took him 10 years, but the actor and casting agent has finally cracked Bollywood

His first Bollywood role was a fleeting one in Rang De Basanti, the iconic politically- and socially-charged film of 2006. Fourteen years later, actor Abhishek Banerjee is making waves with his chilling yet humane portrayal of a serial killer in Paatal Lok. A series that also boasts his prowess as a casting director – he’s done what Sacred Games didn’t: cast a transgender person to play one. 

For Abhishek Banerjee, Paatal Lok did not only make waves as an actor but also proved his prowess as a casting director. Styling: Anchal Notani(Girish Rajput)

Abhishek Banerjee in (from top to bottom) Dream Girl, Rang De Basanti, Stree (inset) and Paatal Lok

The desi Thor?

On Playing Hathoda Tyagi: “Someone has photoshopped a picture of me and Thor, and is calling me the desi Thor! I’ve shown it to everyone. My wife, Tina, just smirked.”

What about inquiries into his personal life? “People are saying things like, ‘Arrey iski bhi gf ho gayi, meri zindagi barbaad hai (even he has got a girlfriend, my life is over now),’ on pictures with my wife,” says a thoroughly amused Abhishek.