Durgesh Kumar’s portrayal of Banrakas in Panchayat 3 has garnered widespread acclaim for bringing depth and authenticity to the village drama. In a recent interview, the actor shared his experience of playing this character and also highlighted the audition process.
Additionally, Kumar revealed that he had initially auditioned for a different role. However, after the audition process, the makers felt that he would be better suited for the character of Bhushan Kumar, also known as Banrakas.
Durgesh Kumar auditioned for a different role than ‘Banrakas’ in Panchayat 3
Character Bhushan Kumar’s iconic dialogue, “dekh rha hai Binod,” has sparked numerous memes and garnered widespread enjoyment among netizens. However, in a recent interview with Digital Commentary, Kumar shared some intriguing insights about his role.
Kumar revealed that he initially auditioned for a photographer’s role in the Panchayat series. not for Banrakas’ character. He explained that Bhushan Kumar’s role came to him later after another actor had performed the part briefly.
He said, “Bhushan ka audition nahin hua tha. Photographer ka audition hua tha. (I didn’t audition for Bhushan. I did that for the photographer’s role).” Durgesh further continued, “Aspirant ke jo writer hain unhone wo role kiya tab mujhe Bhushan ka role (mila). ‘…Ek din ka role hai karoge kya?’ aur tab maine ek din ka role kiya (Aspirants writer Deepesh ji performed the role, and then I was offered Bhushan’s. I was asked if I would do a one-day role and I said yes).”
Moreover, he disclosed that for his role as Banrakas in the first season, he received a salary of ₹10,000 ($119). When asked about the source of his payment, whether it was from Amazon Prime or The Viral Fever. He mentioned, “Ye humein nahin pata, (paisa) account mein aa jaata hai (I don’t know. I receive money in my bank account.”
Apart from Kumar’s performance, the Panchayat series cast includes Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta, Faisal Malik, Chandan Roy, Sanivaa, and others in key roles.
Currently, Panchayat Season 3 is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.