Stree 2 Star Abhishek Banerjee Wasn’t the First Choice for Jana in Stree—Reveals How He Landed the Role After Initial Rejection

The success of “Street 2” has ignited widespread discussions, from its impressive box office numbers to intriguing behind-the-scenes stories. In a recent interview, actor Abhishek Banerjee made some surprising revelations about his breakout role as Jana in the 2018 horror-comedy film “Street.” Known for his quirky and lovable characters, Banerjee shared that he wasn’t the original choice for the role.

In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Banerjee recalled that he initially hesitated to take on the role, even though director Amar Kaushik had auditioned him for it. Despite a strong audition, another actor was chosen for the part. However, a change in casting led Kaushik to show Banerjee’s audition tape to producer Dinesh Vijan, who then decided to cast him as Jana.

“Raj and DK wrote the character in the first part, but they didn’t know me then. Amar was confident I could play Jana, but I initially rejected the role, thinking the character was too foolish and would make everyone laugh at me. But Amar insisted I had to do it,” Banerjee explained.

He continued, “After my audition, I was convinced that no one could play Jana better than me. However, I was heartbroken when I wasn’t selected. A month later, I messaged Amar, saying, ‘I know there’s no one better for this role.’ Amar responded, ‘I know, but the selection is over.’ It was devastating.”

A few days later, Kaushik called Banerjee, asking if he was available in January. “I was shooting something else at the time, but I said I wasn’t busy. Amar then showed my audition to Dinesh Vijan, who liked it, and that’s how I got the role of Jana. Sometimes, fate really does work in mysterious ways,” Banerjee concluded.

“Street 2,” directed by Amar Kaushik and starring Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Aparshakti Khurana, Abhishek Banerjee, and Pankaj Tripathi, was released on Independence Day 2024 and has since grossed Rs 4,218.5 crore at the box office.