Since the premiere of Panchayat Season 2, everyone has been talking about it, and it has garnered a positive response from viewers. It was an instant sensation, much like the previous season, and fans are already looking forward to the third season.
While Jitendra Kumar who played the role of secretary Abhishek Tripathi once again stole the limelight, there are a handful of side characters who registered their presence also. But one character who played a negative role has garnered lots of praise.
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That is none other than Banrakas aka Bhushan!
From a minor character to a significant villain in the series, his sole goal is to replace Manju Devi with his wife Kranti Devi as a Sarpanch.
Everyone who sees him is outraged by his constant negativity. However, we discover that individuals like Bhushan, who look for defects in everything, are extremely valuable to society.
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While you may dislike his character while watching the show, you can’t imagine the story without him. And that’s the main reason why his portrayal became a meme fest on social media. Everyone is talking about Banrakas but few of us know how he earns this such humongous recognization.
Durgesh Kumar, the actor who played Bhushan, has his own story that deserves to be presented. It’s interesting to learn about his beautiful yet unpleasant rise to stardom. So, here’s what we know about him:
His journey from Darbhanga to Delhi in pursuit of stable life
Durgesh Kumar was born in Darbhanga, Bihar on 21st October 1984.
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Kumar had no intention of becoming an actor, and his family advised him to study engineering in order to live a more secure life. So, after graduating from high school, he moved to Delhi in 2001 in the hopes of enrolling in an engineering program, but he was unsuccessful.
Then his older brother advised that he join the theatre to help him develop his individuality. He went along with it and began doing theatre at Sri Ram Centre of Performing Art, which he began to like. Simultaneously, he completed a Hindi (Hons) program from IGNOU.
Following that, he attended the National School of Drama before joining a few theatre companies.
In an interview with the Indian Express, he revealed that it was because of these companies that he was able to collaborate with Imtiaz Ali on his 2014 feature Highway.
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His career is full of struggle
Despite the critical acclaim for Highway, Kumar didn’t get many jobs after that, and life in Mumbai became tough for him. The 38-year-old actor once recalled,
“After Highway, I did a few web series like Candy, Bichho Ka Khel, Candy, Bhaut Hua Samman, but I still had to go for an audition. I was never directly offered the role. I also faced multiple rejections which was quite frustrating. But then the struggle never ends for an actor.”
He added,
“When you regularly get roles, it is easy to survive for an actor in a big city like Mumbai. But it becomes very difficult if it stops coming. My family supported me a lot during the difficult time. Besides, I had to do some odd jobs also.”
His experience with the Panchayat crew
When asked about his experience while doing his role in Panchayat, Kumar told the Indian Express that he had no idea that the second season of Panchayat was in the works after an appearance in the first season. He said,
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“I only had a one day shoot for season 1. But the casting director called me while it was conceptualised and told me that the length of my character has been increased. This time I shot for 20 days. The location was Mahodiya village in Madhya Pradesh.”
Kumar praised the producers of Panchayat and the TVF crew, saying,
“I am very thankful to the casting director of Panchayat Anmol Ahuja for having faith in me. Also, I would like to thank the whole TVF team which is too professional. It’s a team of sharp minds. They know Indian roots very well and the best thing about them is that they don’t get trapped in star culture. They always do the right casting.”
Bhushan will be next seen in Red Chilli’s Bhakshak and Ittu Si Baat.
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