TWO SIDES OF THE SAME CAMERA

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

His first Bollywood role was a fleeting one in Rang De Basanti, the iconic politically- and sociallycharged 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.

“The other side of the camera happened because there were no acting jobs in Mumbai – it took me 10 years to crack an audition,” says Abhishek over a Zoom call one stormy afternoon, as the Wi-fi fluctuates threateningly.

NO FRIEND-ZONE, PLEASE!

Six months after moving to Mumbai in 2008 to pursue a career in acting, Abhishek struggled to even land an audition. “I realised aise nahi ho payega (it won’t work like this). I couldn’t pay my bills like this. I had done a casting job in Delhi, so it seemed like the next best thing to pursue,” he says.

He kept an eye out for roles though, rejecting “dost waala acting roles

Then, he wanted to in the series. When they failed to find anyone fitting in Mumbai and Delhi, they sent a team to Manipur. “I remember the day I got the audition tape, I jumped like a child. It felt like I had found gold in a treasure hunt. Then we had to convince the family a little and it worked! As a casting director, this is my greatest experience so far,” he beams with sheer excitement.

THE SERIAL KILLER VIGILANTE

“Hathoda started off as a dark character, till I realised he’s above worldly emotions and is just empty. So, he doesn’t want any more ‘Hathoda Tyagis’ in the world and he tries to ‘clean the society’ via the killings, sans any satisfaction,” explains Abhishek. Besides, the socio-political scenario of the country was important since Hathoda Tyagi came from an “oppressed section of the society.”

THE DESI THOR?

How popular is Hathoda Tyagi? “Ninety per cent of my DMS start with, ‘Hathoda; Hathoda bhai; kya kar raha hai (what are you doing) Hathoda?; aye Hathoda; arey 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.

2020 IS…

“The year of web series.” Indian creators need to up their game now as the demanding audience is consuming oodles of international content. “A complex show like Dark is #1 on Netflix. Which tells us that the audience is really looking for heavy content these days. Even a relatively slow-paced show like Paatal Lok is being binge-watched. I couldn’t do it!” says Abhishek.

He is planning to rewatch Dark, though. “Do baar mein hi samajh aayegi (Watching it twice will help understand it) properly,” he grins, before listing his favourite non-fictions: Documentaries about the Roman empire, world wars, and one about a guy from Colombia who wanted to buy a submarine from Russia. “Log kamaal ki cheezein karte hain (People do amazing things)! Gangsters actually landed a chopper in the middle of the road in Moscow! Reality is stranger than fiction,” he exclaims.

INDIA ON A PLATE

The other thing he’s doing during lockdown? Cooking for his wife. He’s made aloo posto, kosha mangsho, aaloo-phulkopir torkari, Delhi chhole and paranthas, mutton sukka, chicken Chettinad, Bengali-style chicken biryani and chowmein. “The other day I woke up with a jump, thinking, ‘Oh no! Chhole bhigoye thhe raat ko (had soaked chickpeas at night),’” he chuckles,

Hathoda Tyagi’s chhole nightmares. Sounds as absurd as desi Thor, no?

Aclose friend of mine was hoping to get married this November, with all her friends, family and relatives in attendance. Thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, those plans obviously changed.

My friend decided to advance her wedding and got married last month. “I don’t know how things will be in November, so I tied the knot now and livestreamed the event for my friends,” she says.

The coronavirus pandemic seems to have changed the way we marry. Many couples are finding a way to hold weddings despite countrywide lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. The big fat Indian wedding has become smaller in scale. Brides and grooms are planning lastminute, intimate ceremonies. And while there won’t be any destination weddings any time soon, many ceremonies are turning back time and taking place in the backyards of our homes.

ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER

Naturally, the same is true for bridal wear. Veteran fashion designer Ritu Kumar, who owns one of the largest fashion enterprises in the country, says, “Many brides are now bringing back a bridalwear

DIFFERENT STROKES