From Casting To Acting, 'Hathoda Tyagi' AKA Abhishek Banerjee's Glorious Journey Is Inspiring!

In 2006, Abhishek Banerjee made a fleeting appearance in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's 'Rang De Basanti.' After 14 long years of wearing many hats, Banerjee found validation and success like never before. He played Hathoda Tyaagi in Amazon Prime Video's 'Paatal Lok,' a web show that became a huge hit!

Twitter

But did you know that before he appeared in several movies as 'hero ka dost' and did 'side characters,' he did the casting for several projects?

Instagram

Abhishek Banerjee's stupendous work behind-the-camera:

Abhishek did casting for several movies including No One Killed Jessica, The Dirty Picture, Gabbar Is Back, Rock On 2, OK Jaanu, Toilet Ek Prem Katha, Secret Superstar, Kalank and Paatal Lok, among others.

Instagram

Paatal Lok established his prowess as a casting director as he managed to do something that none of his colleagues in the industry could- rope in a transgender person to play one.

Amazon Prime Video

He is the man who gave actors Siddhant Chaturvedi, Avinash Tiwary, Priyanshu Painyuli, and Mairembam Ronaldo (who plays Cheeni in Paatal Lok) their 'big breaks'.

Instagram

Thanks to Banerjee, his keen eye to cast people in projects that these aspiring actors landed with the right kind of opportunities at the 'right time .'

While balancing his role as an actor and a casting director, he gained much appreciation for his acting.

Instagram

Do you remember him saying the 'Tu beer hai' dialogue in TVF Pitchers?

In an interview with ScoopWhoop, he said, "TVF Pitchers happened, and I got my confidence back. Everything changed after Pitchers. I understood the web platform better and realized I could do both. Web had an opportunity. People weren't looking for just star power, but for actors. Appreciation came, and people started telling me, "tu beer hai kya dialogue tha."

Paatal Lok and a 'new' journey for Banerjee 2021: Anthology king and ruling the OTT-

Instagram

After ten years of hard work, Banerjee has now managed to establish himself as a powerful performer. He gets into the characters' skin and owns them like he was born to play the part. He can display the vulnerabilities of an ordinary man with so much compassion that you instantly begin to feel for his characters.

Here are some of his compelling performances.

1. Stree

Instagram

In an interview with ANI, Banerjee said that Stree is a film that changed his life. He was quoted in a report as saying," 'Stree' basically changed my life. Before that, it was like ten years of rejection and not getting an acting job, not able to crack auditions, even though I was a casting director - breaking news of selection to other actors but not able to get that call of getting selected. So this one film (Stree) ultimately boosted my confidence, morale, and belief in myself, and of course, I made friends for life. It's like that one day of me getting that call that I'm doing Stree completely changed the way I am living life."

2. Bala

Twitter

With Bala, Abhishek turned heads for playing 'hero ka dost' in the most Desi possible way. From trolling his friend to giving life-changing advice, his performance remains memorable.

3. Dream Girl

Instagram

Abhishek Banerjee played a supporting role in Raaj Shandiliyaa's Dream Girl, which succeeded on both the critical and commercial front.

4. Type Writer

Twitter

After Stree, Abhishek starred in Kahaani writer-director Sujoy Ghosh helmed Netflix original Typewriter, a horror-thriller set in Goa. The series revolved around a haunted mansion.

5. Paatal Lok

Instagram

Many compared Banerjee's portrayals of 'Hathoda Tyagi' with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. In an interview with TOI, Banerjee had said, "Emotionally, it was very taxing. The tragedy of Tyagi hit me hard. I could not make peace with the fact that one of us has to go through so much oppression just because of the caste they are born into. It felt medival to be living in a society filled with so much hate towards a fellow human being. I couldn't comprehend it, honestly. When I accepted Tyagi emotionally, it hurt me deeply." The hard work paid off well, as Banerjee garnered a lot of praise for this role.

6. Unpaused

Instagram

After Paatal Lok, Banerjee starred in Amazon Prime Video India's Unpaused, an anthology film made of shorts by directors Raj and DK, Nikkhil Advani, Tannishtha, Aviansh Arun, and Nitya Mehra. The anthology was conceptualized and shot during the COVID-19 lockdown.

7. Ajeeb Daastans

Instagram

Banerjee became an 'anthology king' as he starred in one of the four stories in Netflix's Ajeeb Daastans. This gut-wrenching story established Banerjee as an actor who can literally 'play' any role with utmost sincerity and dedication.

8. Helmet

Instagram

This Zee5 original movie stars Aparshakti Khurana, Pranutan Bahl, Abhishek Banerjee, and Ashish Verma. The film revolves around one of the most pertaining issues in our society - people's resistance to buy condoms. From 'Hero ka dost' to now a hero, Banerjee has now seen headlining shows and films that in itself prove his mettle as an actor.

9. Ankahi Kahaaniya

Instagram

He recently released an anthology on Netflix as Banerjee headlining a compelling story by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. The story will pierce through your heart and make you realize how lonely city life can make one feel. Once again, Banerjee proved that he could carry the burden of a story on his solid shoulders with finesse.

10. Rashmi Rocket

Instagram

In a first, Banerjee will be seen in a lawyer's role. The team of Rashmi Rocket released his first look today. Abhishek Banerjee is seen in a black blazer, white shirt, and a lawyer's tie.

Be it Bala or Stree, Abhishek proved that his acting caliber is enough to make him notice even amidst a sea of already established actors.