Abhishek Banerjee has seen showbiz from multiple perspectives, starting as a renowned casting director and now making waves as an actor. With his career gaining momentum with upcoming projects such as Stree 2 and Rana Naidu 2, Banerjee reflects: “Acting is not always glam. It’s a spiritual journey. You’ve to walk alone, experience things yourself. You keep practising. Not everybody is seeking gold; some are happy with what they have.” 

The conversation naturally shifts to the pressing issue of film budgets spiralling out of control due to skyrocketing actor fees and associated costs. Banerjee, who is most popular for his role as Hathoda Tyagi in the series Paatal Lok, corrects us: “You are talking about stars, not actors. That’s completely a star thing; one can’t blame actors for that. The producers have to decide.”

Pointing out the additional demands some actors make today, which inflate a film’s budget, the 39-year-old draws from his experience as a casting director: “I have been casting for movies and shows for many years now. Certain stars make many unnecessary demands. Because of that, actors don’t get paid well. I would be told by makers, ‘kam paise mein cast karo’. I don’t know if the stars know this reality or not. Sometimes, good actors get peanuts for a show or a film. Of course, star value draws people to the theatres, but an actor also adds value to a story. One cannot neglect that. One can’t pay a star’s bodyguard more than an actor’s daily wage.”

He continues, “Mujhe yaad hai hamare paas casting mein ek difficult situation aati thi. We would be told, ‘Hamare paas budget itna hi hai lekin achha actor chahiye’ I would be like, ‘Achha actor kam paise mein kyun kaam kare aur kaise kare? Kam paison mein how do I convince a good actor to be a part of a particular project?’ It’s sad; it shouldn’t be that.”