Abhishek Banerjee REVEALS Thamma Cameo Was Initially Different: Jana And Varun Dhawan's Bhediya Were Supposed To... - EXCL
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Thamma, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna brings the vampires into Maddock's Horror Comedy Universe. But as expected, it also brought Abhishek Banerjee reprising his Jana, a character that
has so far connected all the movies through a common thread of storytelling. Thamma infact includes cameos by characters from all previous MHCU movies, namely Bhediya, Stree, Munjya, and Stree 2. And Jana's portion is the merging point of all.
Abhishek on returning to play Jana
Abhishek exclusively told Zoom, "Maddock's set is like home. It feels like someone from my family owns it (laughs). That is a testimony of the kind of hospitality the production house has towards their actors. And this I have felt since Stree 1. And this is not the first time. I've always felt it when I was just a newcomer. Even after five MHCU films, I feel the same. They take care of you a lot and there's a lot of love. That's why I think there's so much humour on set because everybody is happy. I just love that kind of set."
Jana in Thamma
Abhishek's Jana appears in a scene where he meets Sathyaraj's character Elvis Karim Prabhakar (from Munjya) looking for a remedy for his cousin brother Bhaskar (Varun Dhawan) who's unable to completely transform into a Bhediya following the events of Stree 2 post his big fight with Sarkata. Jana then bumps into Alok, who's also there to meet Prabhakar with his father, to discuss his transition to a vampire problem.Abhishek has previously appeared in Bhediya and Munjya in cameos, apart from a full-fledged role as Jana in the two Stree movies. So how much is he told about the entire plot of the particular film, before he's offered a cameo?
Know-how before his cameo
"Not really. I trust the makers a lot. Amar Kaushik, Niren Bhatt are creating this entire universe and Aditya Sarphodaar, is a fantastic director. There's nothing which you really want to know apart from the fact that you have to do a cameo. And then Varun's entry will happen," Abhishek said in gratitude.
Jana, Bhediya were initially meant to appear together
The actor further revealed how his cameo was initially set very differently. "There were too many back and forths about this cameo. Varun was also supposed to be part of that scene with me, but due to date reasons we could not, and that's when I had to step in. The scene was also changed and that actually in a way did wonders for the Bhediya entry because if you had seen him already before, that fun about his entry wouldn't be there. This is the beauty of the creators that they think on the spot, improvise it while shooting and writing, and that helps actors improvise on set," he shared.ALSO READ: Ayushmann Khurrana Spills Beans On Bhediya vs Thamma, Calls Fight Sequence With Varun Dhawan 'Sabse Exciting Part'
On being 'jugular vein' of MHCU
Abhishek ended by expressing happiness for being that crucial connection, like the jugular vein of the entire horror comedy universe. He said, "I feel lucky. and humbled that I'm liked by the creators and the audience and that's why I probably get to repeat my character in so many worlds. This franchise is in my life and it's going to be a big part of my life in the coming years. I'm really looking forward to all the other films which we are supposed to make."