Durgesh Kumar, the talented actor from Bihar’s Darbhanga, has captured the audience’s attention with his role as Bhushan in the popular series Panchayat, now streaming its new season on Prime Video. Despite his recent rise to fame, Durgesh’s path to success was anything but smooth. In a candid interview, he opened up about his battles with depression and the extreme measures he took to survive in the industry.
Durgesh’s acting journey began with his debut in Imtiaz Ali’s 2014 film Highway, starring Randeep Hooda and Alia Bhatt. However, despite this promising start, he faced numerous challenges that led him to act in soft porn to make ends meet. “I can’t live without acting. I did any work that came my way because I was confident in my abilities,” he shared, highlighting his relentless passion for acting.
His struggles were not just limited to finding roles. Durgesh recalled how his friends teased him for pleading with casting directors to cast him in roles. “It feels embarrassing to go out for random auditions after having worked in films, especially after the casting directors recognise you,” he admitted. His role in Panchayat Season 1 was a minor one, lasting just 2.5 hours of shooting, but he is grateful for the opportunity provided by Chandan Kumar and Deepak Kumar Mishra, who wrote his character ‘Banrakas.’
In an interview with Lallantop, Durgesh recounted his early days in Mumbai. Arriving in Versova on May 28, 2016, with friends from the Madhya Pradesh Drama School, he was determined to break into the industry. The group made Aram Nagar their base, persistently approaching casting directors. “All this, after having done Highway, Freaky Ali, and Sultan,” he recalled, underscoring the difficulty of his journey.
Durgesh emphasized the importance of mental and financial preparation for aspiring actors, warning them about the industry’s harsh realities. He cited the struggles of seasoned actors like Manoj Bajpayee, Pankaj Tripathi, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, noting, “This place is filled with crazy people. All the successful people you see today… they are all half crazy people, nobody discloses this.” Recently, Durgesh has starred in Laapataa Ladies and Bhakshak and enjoyed a more significant role in Panchayat Season 2 as Banrakas.
