- By Ridhi Suri
- Tue, 04 Jun 2024 10:58 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Panchayat's latest season is now available for streaming on Prime Video, putting the spotlight back on its talented cast. Among them is Durgesh Kumar, who portrays the character of Bhushan in the series alongside Jitendra Kumar and Neena Gupta. Originally from Bihar's Darbhanga, Durgesh, now known by the nickname 'banrakas', faced his share of challenges on the path to fame. In a recent interview, he bravely opened up about his battle with depression. Also, he faced financial difficulties and had to resort to acting in soft pornographic films for survival.
Durgesh Kumar, whose acting career kicked off with Imtiaz Ali's 2014 film Highway starring Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt, reflected on his journey in the industry. He revealed that he battled depression twice while striving to establish himself in the entertainment world. Despite the challenges, the actor remained resolute in his passion for acting, stating, "I can’t live without acting. I did any work that came my way because I was confident in my abilities."
He added, "This is the kind of struggle and dedication it takes to survive in the industry. It feels embarrassing to go out for random auditions after having worked in films, especially after the casting directors recognise you. I just had one day’s role in Panchayat season 1. I shot for just 2.5 hours. I am really thankful to Chandan Kumar and Deepak Kumar Mishra who wrote the ‘Banrakas’ role. I am glad. I am not Irrfan, Nawazuddin, I am an average actor with survival instinct in me."
In an interview with Lallantop, Durgesh Kumar recalled "When I first came to Versova on May 28, 2016, I made a few friends from Madhya Pradesh Drama School. We decided to get into the industry at any cost. We found Neeraj Singh and Gaurav Singh of Prithvi, we made Aram Nagar our adda. We started to knock doors of every casting director, I fell on their feet to cast me in some role. All this, after having done Highway, Freaky Ali, and Sultan."
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"You need to be prepared psychologically, physically, mentally, emotionally and economically to be an actor. I have suffered depression twice in 11 years. Unless you are not psychologically, economically and mentally healthy, please don’t come in the acting field. I am being brutally honest about it," he stated.
Durgesh, who recently appeared in "Laapataa Ladies" and "Bhakshak," took on a more prominent role in Panchayat Season 2, portraying the character of Banrakas.