‘Stree 2’ has already emerged as a blockbuster and continues to break records left, right, and centre. The essence that drives the ‘Stree’ film series, apart from the storyline, is the cast’s comic timing, play on language and strong camaraderie. Apparently, the strong bond shown in the film between the cast members is present in real life too. Abhishek Banerjee, who plays the comical character, Jana, in Maddock’s Supernatural Universe opens up on the cast’s dynamics. The actor also talks about director Amar Kaushik and calls him a “bully from Kanpur.”
Abhishek Banerjee played the role of Jana in both the ‘Stree’ films as well as in ‘Bhediya.’ All three titles of Maddock’s Supernatural Universe have been helmed by Amar Kaushik. The film series also stars Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkumar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, and Pankaj Tripathi in key roles.
In an interview with PTI, Banerjee talked about how the strong bond between the cast members helps them improvise, elevating the comedy quotient. Talking about it, he lauded the fact that they have been given the creative freedom to improvise on the set. “What works for us is that we can be very ruthless towards each other and we can really make fun of each other. We can really laugh at the co-actor because they have improvised badly and it’s not funny. Usually, you don’t do that on a film set, you will think twice before insulting your co-actor, we don’t. When you are so naked in front of your co-actors, that’s when the best lines come.” However, Banerjee also emphasised that despite making fun of each other, they always maintain decorum.
Talking about ‘Stree 2’s director, Banerjee said that even though the cast members have the freedom to play around, the director is sure to call out bad acting and humour. Banerjee quipped, “Amar bhai (brother) is a bully from Kanpur, no matter how much he pretends to be this distinguished gentleman. He has that Kanpuriya vibe in him and can insult you very badly about your humour, acting. He could be like ‘Abey, kya kar raha hai ye? Ye kahan se seekh ke aaya hai (What are you doing? Where did you learn this from’?) So, you’re always on your toes. And, Pankaj ji, I don’t think he needs to do anything. He’s somebody who can make thin air funny. Sometimes I’m just laughing by looking at the things he does.”
During the conversation, the actor also added that they are very secure actors. If they feel insecure, they say it out loud. “Like, I would do that a lot on song shoots and say ‘Mujhe centre frame chahiye’ (I want to be centre frame) just to irritate my co-actors.”
Also Read: ‘Stree 2’: Director Amar Kaushik reacts to Aparshakti Khurana’s ‘credits’ remark
‘Stree 2’ is the sequel to the 2018 blockbuster, ‘Stree’ and is the second instalment of the film series. Meanwhile, it is the fifth title in Maddock’s Supernatural Universe. The film has already crossed the 600 crores mark at the domestic box office. With its impressive streak, the collection is expected to cross 750 crores.