Before becoming a well-known actor, Abhishek Banerjee began his career as a casting director in 2010. He worked on notable films such as The Dirty Picture starring Vidya Balan and No One Killed Jessica featuring Rani Mukerji. However, the actor recently shared a shocking revelation about a significant setback in his career: being removed from Karan Johar’s production, Agneepath, which starred Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra.
Expelled from Agneepath
In a candid conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Abhishek Banerjee revealed that he was initially involved in the casting for Agneepath. However, things took a turn when Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions decided to replace him. Recalling the incident, Abhishek said, “We were removed from Agneepath. We were handling the casting, but then Jogi (Malang) Bhai took over. Why? Because Karan Sir didn’t like our casting.”
Though the film was produced by Karan Johar and directed by Karan Malhotra, it remains unclear which “Karan” he was referring to in this instance.
Career in Jeopardy
Banerjee described how the sudden removal from Agneepath felt like the end of his career. He explained that their approach to casting leaned towards “Anurag Kashyap-type actors,” which didn’t align with the filmmakers’ vision. According to him, this creative difference led to the harsh decision. He recalled the words, “Get out of our film,” and how it made him and his team believe their careers were over, especially after being expelled from a high-profile project under Dharma Productions.
Fortunately, Banerjee and his team managed to recover from this setback and continue building their careers in the industry.
Founding ‘Casting Bay’
Abhishek Banerjee eventually co-founded a successful casting agency called ‘Casting Bay’. Over the years, the agency has played a key role in casting for prominent projects, including The Sky Is Pink starring Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar and the critically acclaimed web series Paatal Lok. Despite the early career hiccup, Banerjee has carved out a space for himself in both acting and casting.
Banerjee’s Acting Journey
Currently, Abhishek Banerjee is seen in Stree 2, the sequel to the hit horror-comedy Stree. The film has an ensemble cast, including Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, and Pankaj Tripathi. Banerjee’s performance in the original Stree was highly appreciated, and the sequel continues to showcase his talent.
Stree 2 Box Office Success
Stree 2 is proving to be a box-office hit. The film grossed an impressive Rs 60.3 crore in India on its first day, while its worldwide collection reached around Rs 76.5 crore. On the second day, the film added another Rs 30 crore to its total, bringing its domestic net collection to Rs 90.3 crore. The worldwide collection of Stree 2 has already crossed the Rs 100 crore mark, cementing its success and highlighting Banerjee’s growing popularity.
