MUMBAI: From playing minuscule parts to prominent roles, 'Pataal Lok' star Abhishek Banerjee has risen up as a performer with every project and the actor says the new-found fame gives him the strength to continue giving his best.
After a string of successful comedic turns in films like "Stree", "Dream Girl", "Bala", Banerjee surprised everyone with his portrayal of a hot-headed killer Hathoda Tyagi in the Amazon Prime Video series "Pataal Lok".
His latest series, family comedy "PariWar" for Disney+ Hotstar has also received a positive response.
Reminiscing his early days as an actor, when he made blink-and-you-miss appearances in "No One Killed Jessica", "Rang De Basanti", "Go Goa Gone", Banerjee said he didn't expect anything out of those opportunities, apart from experience.
"I have been running a lot since the time I came to Mumbai. I have just been working hard and not looking behind. My wife keeps pointing out how things are changing. I am getting the attention or so-called fame or trust from the industry. It builds a lot of strength inside me," Banerjee told PTI in an interview.
The 32-year-old actor hopes his journey in the industry would motivate many who want to pursue performing arts.
"I want to give this strength to all newcomers and tell them that it is possible The new-found fame is hope for me and not just for me but for so many others," he added.
Banerjee, who is also a casting director and runs company Casting Bay with Anmol Ahuja, believes it is important for an artist to be open to 'criticism' as it pushes one to take their performance a notch higher.
"If someone is praising my work as Hathoda Tyagi, I feel this was cool and I have to go to the next level. That is the pressure. The pressure is of performance. If people don't like my work, I will take it as criticism and try and better myself."
His recent outing "PariWar", he said, came to him when he was in the midst of shooting for "Paatal Lok" and prepping for his upcoming film "Helmet".
The actor said he came on board the six-episode series as it gave him a chance to learn more about the craft and explore his 'romantic' side on the screen.
"PariWar" revolves around a family squabbling over a lucrative property that was donated to a theatre artiste to build a home for widows and widowers.
The series also features seasoned actors like Gajraj Rao, Sadiya Siddiqui, Ranvir Shorey, Vijay Raaz, Yashpal Sharma.