Abhishek Banerjee recalls firing employee over late-night message to actor
What's the story
Abhishek Banerjee, known for his roles in Stree and Paatal Lok, has expressed his condemnation of the Justice Hema Committee report on sexual harassment's findings, released on Monday (August 19).
The report highlighted allegations of misconduct within the Malayalam film industry.
In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Banerjee described these revelations as "disgusting" and identified power dynamics as a significant issue in the film industry.
Professional conduct
Banerjee's strict policy against unprofessional behavior
Banerjee, who has also been a casting director for 15 years, shared an incident where he had to fire an employee for attempting to meet a female actor outside work hours.
"We had a very simple rule that we will not let any of our employees meet any actor...outside the office premises."
"It has happened in my company also. Somebody sent a message at night to an actress and...I got to know. We immediately fired them," Banerjee said.
Industry evolution
'People asked me what I did...I felt very embarrassed...'
Banerjee acknowledged that there has been a significant shift in Bollywood regarding casting couch incidents.
"The audience also understood the importance of casting. Now, the 'casting couch' is not associated with casting directors that much."
"When I had just become a casting director, I remember I was traveling on a train and some people asked me what I did in Mumbai. I said, 'Main casting director hoon'. They were like, 'Oh, casting couch.' I felt very embarrassed."
Power dynamics
Banerjee's perspective on power dynamics in film industry
Banerjee further elaborated on the power dynamics within the film industry, stating, "The problem is the power structure. It's a feudal mindset."
"The predators, the people in power are powerless because they're hiding and doing it."
However, he also noted that those who abuse their power are not truly powerful but are instead hiding their actions out of fear.
Work-wise, Banerjee recently graced screens in Stree 2 and John Abraham-led Vedaa.