On the other hand, the process was entirely different for Stree 2 as he had already played the character in the prequel Bhediya (2022). This time, it was about finding nuances in the character. He feels that the pressure to create a refreshing appeal was more on the writers than on him. “The writers are writing about an already loved character, and they had to really push the limits in the sequel,” he says. “As an actor, when you have played a character before, you are only going to find newer attributes each time. It’s also like they say, ‘third time’s the charm.’”Apart from his acting stints, Abhishek is also a casting director, having worked on films like Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), Kalank (2019) and The Sky Is Pink (2019) to name a few. As a casting director, Abhishek feels that all actors should get a fair chance to work in films. “We have an entrance exam for doctors, engineers, lawyers; we don’t have any entrance exam for actors. The process of casting becomes that entrance exam,” he says, stressing the importance of looking beyond ‘good looks’ and ‘biceps’ to find people with actual acting capabilities. “We are in India and we need to understand as makers that our boy next door is not a fair and tall guy, but is more likely to be someone like me.”His acting experience has made him more empathetic in how he approaches casting as he often finds it difficult to say ‘no’ to good actors. Although he feels that the casting process has democratized over the years, it’s still a long way to go. “I can’t let acting become a rich man’s job,” he says. “As an industry, we have to make it approachable to everyone so that no one will have to leave their family or hometowns or stay hungry in Bombay. No one should have to do that to be an actor.”However, it’s also the actors who are at the centre of discussions about the rising costs of making a film. As someone who has seen these developments closely, Abhishek feels that the way ahead is simple. “Producers need to have faith in other actors and create a new structure where it’s not a star-based system,” he says. “When you are making a film for one person then you have to work according to their choices and opinions.” He feels that it is crucial to give more prominence to the voice of the director as they are the ones bringing a vision to the film.“We need to work on our scripts longer than we do because if it’s not on paper, it’s not going to be on screen,” he says. “In today’s time, there are many commoners who are making immense efforts to create a 30-second reel on Instagram. That way, we need to work ten times harder to make that two-hour film. We need to be invested. We need to pay good amounts to our writers, directors, and technicians. Making a film is a collective effort and it needs to stay that way.”
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