Abhishek Banerjee: I don’t want to be boxed into a single image or genre

Abhishek Banerjee’s recent choices place him in sharply different worlds, shifting from psychological intensity to emotional vulnerability and offbeat humour. The appeal, for him, lies in that contrast. “What excites me the most about this phase is how different these worlds are from each other,” he says, adding, “In Legacy, I’m exploring a darker, more menacing side. There’s a quiet intensity to the character that required me to internalise a lot and sit with uncomfortable emotions. It’s not loud, but it’s deeply unsettling, and that was both challenging and rewarding.”That stillness and psychological weight stand in sharp contrast to the emotional openness he embraces in Lust Stories 3. He explains, “With Lust Stories 3, the emotional language completely changes. I get to explore vulnerability, romance and intimacy in an honest way. Romance, when written truthfully, isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about small moments and silences. Playing a romantic lead allowed me to tap into softness and emotional openness, which can be just as demanding as darker roles.” Then comes Toaster, where the shift is not just tonal but rhythmic. Moving from emotional heaviness to humour required a recalibration of instinct. He says, “Comedy is deceptively difficult. Toaster gave me the chance to approach humour from a grounded place. The film has a quirky tone, but the comedy comes from characters and situations rather than punchlines. Shifting from the heaviness of Legacy to the lightness of this world was refreshing. It reminded me how important rhythm, timing and instinct are in comedy.”Across these varied spaces, what ties his choices together is not genre but curiosity. Abhishek resists the comfortof familiarity. He shares, “As an actor, I don’t want to be boxed into a single image or genre. I want audiences to see different sides of me. If people walk away feeling surprised by the range of work I’m doing, then I know I’m moving in the right direction. That constant exploration is what keeps the process meaningful.”