Abhishek Banerjee, a prominent actor and director known for his role in the hit film Stree 2, is also a dedicated casting director and co-owner of the Mumbai-based agency, Casting Bay. As he basks in the success of Stree 2, Banerjee recently shared insights into the stringent policies he has implemented at his casting agency to ensure a safe and professional environment for women.
In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Banerjee disclosed that he has enforced strict rules at Casting Bay to prevent any form of harassment or unprofessional conduct. Among the most notable regulations, Banerjee has banned meetings outside the office premises and prohibited employees from texting female colleagues or clients beyond a certain hour.
“The first thing we did was decide on a rule that none of our employees are allowed to hold meetings outside our office,” Banerjee stated. He explained that the prevalent culture of conducting meetings in coffee shops or restaurants in Mumbai often blurred the lines between professional and personal interactions. “We wanted to say, ‘No, that’s not professional. You are not meeting to eat food or have coffee. You are meeting for work. So, let’s keep it professional. You come to our office, speak to us, and then you go,’” he added.
Banerjee also emphasised the importance of regulating communication times, especially when interacting with female actors. “None of our employees are allowed to message female actors after a certain point. If you do that, strict actions will be taken, which we have done,” he revealed. He admitted that employees have been fired for violating this rule, underscoring his commitment to creating a safe environment for women at Casting Bay.
On the professional front, Abhishek Banerjee plays the role of Jana in Stree 2, directed by Amar Kaushik. The film, starring Shraddha Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Pankaj Tripathi, and Aparshakti Khurana, is the second installment of the Stree franchise, which forms part of Dinesh Vijan’s popular horror-comedy universe, also including Roohi, Bhediya, and Munjya.