Unfortunately, in our country international acclaim is overshadowed by box office numbers: Abhishek Banerjee

He had a busy year with multiple releases on various OTT platforms which were received well but there seems to be no stopping Abhishek Banerjee. The actor who started his career with a short appearance in Rang De Basanti (2006) has shown his versatility in challenging and entertaining roles in movies and web shows. Adding another feather to his cap, the performer is now looking forward to his next, a short film called Paash. What excites him more is that the film recently secured a spot in the top five films from India in Shorts TV Film Festival; which is an Oscar-qualifying film festival.

Sharing his excitement, Banerjee says, “I am excited, elated, and out of words. I can’t express this feeling! This is too special for me and this year has been fantastic and thrilling, work-wise. One doesn’t expect anything while doing a short and does it for the love of it. As an actor, you want a wide variety of audience watching your work; it gives you more opportunity to explore yourself and also less dependent on a particular kind of work which you get accustomed to working in a particular industry.”

While he has made a mark in India, Banerjee admits that having your work recognised globally definitely grabs you few eyeballs but whether it translates to better opportunities in the industry, is questionable. “We have had many international recognized directors and actors in our country. Unfortunately, the international acclaim is overshadowed by box office numbers here, but it’s important to realise that everything is not about money and definitely not art!” says the actor, who will be seen in Rashmi Rocket, Helmet and Aankh Micholi next.

With rise in digital content, there has been a boom in shorts as well. The Paatal Lok actor credits short films for his career launch. “My film Ajji (2017) happened as director Devashish Makhija saw me in a short and later, Ajji helped me get Stree (2018). So I have been a believer of the shorter format. Moreover, due to the rise of OTT platforms now, there’s an audience waiting to see interesting shorts. We even have award functions with a category for short films. If you are talented, shorts are a great opportunity to prove yourself!” he concludes.

Interact with author/@imkav