Panchayat is a great show that has many lovable characters. One such character is Bhushan aka Banaras, played by National School of Drama graduate Durgesh Kumar. Recently, the actor had an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in, where he talked about his character, acting alongside veterans like Neena Gupta, Raghubir Yadav and his upcoming projects.

Excerpts from the interview

What was your process of preparing for the character?

When I did a scene in season 1, I got an idea of ​​the black humour of this character. Also, the writing was very good. So, my only job was to memorise the dialogue and infuse the essence of Ballia in it, i.e. how people from Bihar and UP speak. Maintaining that touch and making sure it sounds negative but doesn’t sound villainous. So, yes, that was my preparation.

What was the most challenging aspect of portraying Banracas?

The challenging part was that I had to make sure it wasn’t too negative or too clever. I had to keep it low enough that it looked humorous, logical and believable. If I went a note higher, it would become villainous. So, I had to avoid that and make sure that didn’t happen.

How did you get into the mindset of your character?

I am from Motipur village in Darbhanga district, so I have seen people in my village who speak the truth but in a very wrong way. So I adopted their behavior. The writer has written and it is my responsibility to prove what he has written as true. I did not think whether I would become a villain or a comedian; I was just playing the character as it was written.

You must have improvised a lot. Do you remember your co-stars’ reaction to those scenes?

Yes, when I improvised, people kept laughing for almost three-four takes, except for the meeting scene. The director was very happy. Finally, he asked us to laugh less because a good scene was being recorded. Most people took it seriously, but you will see that in the end Jeetu Bhaiya (Jeetendra Kumar) is seen laughing in that scene.

How was it working with veterans like Neena Gupta and Raghubir Yadav?

I loved working with them. These guys are very supportive. When we add something new or make a change to the character, they give it their full space. They are all very humble people and very supportive. I am also from National School of Drama, so being a junior they give me my own space with the character.

How is ‘Panchayat’ different from other shows or web series?

Panchayat is different in the sense that it shows the entire state together. Panchayat focuses only on village stories, which depict the turbulent lives of the village people. It has established Phulera village as a character. This is why Panchayat is very different.

How has the audience responded to your character, and how has that response affected you?

I have become quite famous. I have seen a lot of memes. Versova is where I live, and about a kilometre away is Aaram Nagar, where I go in the evening. Even today, whenever I go out, at least 10 to 12 people ask to take selfies with me. They talk to me, praise my character. This has continued since the release of the third season of Panchayat.

If you had the chance to play any other character in Panchayat, who would it be and why?

I would love to play the character of Pradhan ji. I love that character and I love whatever Raghubir ji (Raghubir Yadav) has done.

What other projects do you have going on at the moment?

I have a film with Saif Ali Khan. Another film is coming out, directed by Suman K Nagendra Choudhary, called ‘Gangs of Ghaziabad’. Apart from this, there is also an independent film called ‘Ratan Pura’. I will be a part of another film directed by Ashish Shukla in which Rakul Preet Singh is in the lead role.

Watch the trailer of ‘Panchayat 3’ here:

‘Panchayat’ traces the journey of Abhishek Tripathi (played by Jitendra Kumar) as he deals with the challenges and hardships of being a Panchayat Secretary.