Exploring Kshitij Chauhan And Abhishek Banerjee’s Casting Bond In Vedaa

Kshitij Chauhan made a notable debut in the film industry with his role as a villain in the Independence Day release, Vedaa. He portrayed Abhishek Banerjee's younger brother. Although this was their first on-screen collaboration, they share a history in casting.

Both Kshitij and Abhishek previously assisted casting director Gautam Kishanchandni. Gautam had also worked as an assistant director to Anurag Kashyap. "Back in the day, during Black Friday, Dev D and No One Killed Jessica, he was one of the first casting directors that emerged during that time. Abhishek was already assisting him and I joined them in 2019 because I wanted to learn the process of how to audition. I feel casting is a very good institution to learn," Kshitij shares.

Their shared background made Kshitij's first meeting with Abhishek for Vedaa particularly memorable. "I still remember the first day we met for Vedaa, costume trials were going on and the first thing we connected on was our past connect," he reveals, adding that Abhishek's journey also had many parallels with his own.

Kshitij recalls watching an interview where Abhishek mentioned that Gautam had encouraged him to pursue acting due to his skill in giving cues. "I had watched one of Abhishek's interviews where he shared that Gautam sir had told him he was good at giving cues and would be a good actor. He told him to begin casting as it would help him," Kshitij says.

During Kshitij's first project as a casting intern, Gautam gave similar advice. "During my first project as a casting intern, Gautam sir had said that I give good cues and can be a good actor too," he adds. This parallel gave Kshitij confidence in his career path.

Working with Abhishek on Vedaa felt like a full-circle moment for Kshitij. "So, I would draw parallels in my journey with Abhishek's and it would give me confidence. When things work that way, it gives you a validation that you are going in the right direction. And eventually I got a chance to work with Abhishek itself, so it has been a full circle moment" Kshitij concludes.