Abhishek Banerjee, actor and casting director, is currently basking in the success of his latest releases, ‘Stree 2’ and ‘Vedaa’. However, amidst the celebrations, he found himself embroiled in a controversy following comments he made in an interview. Banerjee had said that Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions had once dismissed him and his associate, Anmol Ahuja, from the casting process of the Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra Jonas-starrer Agneepath due to creative differences with director Karan Malhotra.
Abhishek Banerjee’s statement
The statement quickly gained traction, leading to widespread speculation about a fallout between Banerjee and Dharma Productions. On Monday, Banerjee took to Instagram Stories to clarify his remarks, stating that his words had been misunderstood. “This week I have been blessed with two releases and one controversy. I’ve been reading and hearing a lot of reports about Dharma Productions supposedly firing my company, Casting Bay, during the casting process of Agneepath. Unfortunately, this situation has been completely misrepresented as accusatory on our part,” he wrote.
Banerjee explained that the decision to part ways with Dharma on Agneepath was due to his and Ahuja’s inability to align with Karan Malhotra’s vision for the film. He said that at the time, both he and Ahuja were inexperienced, being only in their early twenties, and their lack of experience may have contributed to a misunderstanding of Malhotra’s expectations. “I also emphasised that Anmol and I were quite young at the time, around 20 to 23 years old, with little to no experience in casting for a major commercial film, which perhaps led to us misinterpreting Mr. Malhotra’s requirements for the project,” Banerjee said.
“Never accused Dharma Productions of any wrongdoing”
He also clarified that he never accused Karan Johar personally of any wrongdoing and that the decision to let them go was made by Johar’s team, not by Johar himself. “I have not accused or suggested any wrongdoing on the part of Dharma Productions. In fact, I have deep respect for Dharma Productions and Karan Johar,” he stated, adding that reports suggesting otherwise were inaccurate.
Banerjee further mentioned that his intention in sharing the story was to inspire young professionals, highlighting that setbacks are part of the journey, and that it’s possible to recover and succeed. He pointed out that despite the initial setback, he and his company, Casting Bay, have since worked on multiple projects with Dharma Productions, including Ok Jaanu, Student of the Year 2, Kalank, and recent releases like Kill and Gyarah Gyarah. He also noted that Dharma even cast him as an actor in Ajeeb Daastaans.
In closing, Banerjee reaffirmed the positive relationship he shares with Dharma Productions, saying, “Dharma has always been very good to me and to my company, Casting Bay. It is a relationship we value and nurture.” In a light-hearted remark, he added, “PS: I am not putting this out for the hamper.”