Abhishek Banerjee opens up on Stree 2 and pressure of returning as Jana: ‘If I mess this up...' | Exclusive

On Wednesday, at a grand event in Mumbai, Jio Studios announced its ambitious slate of 100 upcoming films and series. Among the long list of newer titles were some eagerly anticipated sequels as well, the chief of them being the two films from Dinesh Vijan’s horror comedy universe – Stree 2 and Bhediya 2. Actor Abhishek Banerjee, the link in the new cinematic universe, spoke to DNA about his role and the sequels a few days before the announcements.

In Stree, which released in 2018, Abhishek played Jana, a friend of the protagonist Vicky (Rajkummar Rao). He reprised the role in the 2022 hit Bhediya, which starred Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon. Talking about reprising a character for the first time in his film journey, Abhishek said, “There was a huge pressure on me because I knew this guy is already loved. So, in way can I make him unloved. If I mess this character up, shame on me. And he had grown too. The Jana you see in Bhediya is not as innocent as the guy you see in Stree. He is smarter and has moved from being bullied to being the bully. I was a little worried about that change and that people shouldn’t start hating him. I think people loved him because they understood that change. Plus, it was written so well that the chance to go wrong was very little.”

The actor says he is now looking forward to Stree 2, which should begin filming sometime later this year. “I hope Stree 2 begins as quickly as possible because I loved reprising the role. It was great fun. So, I am really looking forward to this,” he added.

Stree has been called Abhishek’s breakthrough film by many. Even though Abhishek had been active in the industry for a decade by then, Stree put him on the map and made him noticed by the masses. Calling the film his ‘commercial breakthrough’, Abhishek said, “I had done a lot of work but that was for a niche audience.” He added that the success of the film and his career eventuallymade people, who earlier doubted him, acknowledge him as well. “People’s approach towards you always changes with success. The people who always wondered looking at me and said ‘this guy doesn’t seem right’ also realised I was probably ok,” said Abhishek.