Meet Durgesh Kumar A.k.a 'Banrakas Of Panchayat', Theatre Artist, Film With Alia, Struggles For Work

After 'Sachivji' and 'Pradhanji', one of the most important characters in the web series of Panchayat is that of 'Bhushan' a.k.a 'Banrakas'. As the primary antagonist of the show, his antics add more spice to the storyline. A minor character in season 1, 'Banrakas', played by theatre artist, Durgesh Kumar, has become an indispensable part of Panchayat. With Panchayat Season 4, getting all the love, a spotlight has again shone on the antagonistic yet hilarious character of 'Banrakas' played by Durgesh. But who is the actor in his real life, and what other films and shows has he been a part of before Panchayat? Here's every detail about Durgesh Kumar and his career. 

Durgesh Kumar first pursued engineering before focusing on theatre 

Durgesh Kumar was born in Darbhanga, Bihar, but relocated to Delhi in 2001 to pursue engineering. However, after finding entrance exams challenging, he put all of his efforts towards acting and theatre. From 2004 to 2007, he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree and also completed a certificate course in acting. After this, Durgesh went to attain a PG diploma acting from the National School of Drama, the most prestigious acting school of India, whose alumni are Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan and Durgesh's co-star from Panchayat, Raghubir Yadav (plays 'Pradhanij'), Neena Gupta (plays 'Manju Devi') and more. 

Durgesh Kumar once revealed that after failing the engineering entrance test, it was his older brother who suggested that he pursue theatre and acting. Even after appearing in films and web series, he is still an active member of the Aranya theatre, Uddeshya Theatre Group. In an interview with Digital Commentory, Durgesh said that acting and theatre changed his personality and lifestyle. Interestingly, his favourite book is Hamlet by William Shakespeare, one of the most globally acclaimed play. 

Durgesh Kumar's breakthrough role was in Highway with Alia Bhatt 

After years of acting in theatre plays, Durgesh Kumar got his Bollywood break in Imtiaz Ali's 2014 film, Highway, where he shared the screen with Alia Bhatt and Randeep Hooda. He was part of the supporting cast and played the role of 'Aadoo'. When Highway was released again in March 2025, Durgesh spoke to ETimes and expressed his excitement. The actor was all praises for his co-stars, especially Alia Bhatt. Durgesh said that even though Alia was very young back then, she approached her work with maturity. 

Durgesh Kumar stated that when the film was first released, he watched two shows. He also showed it to 65 of his friends, who appreciated his performance. In the film, his character was supposed to be Gujarati, so Durgesh practised a lot and also got help from Randeep Hooda for the same, he revealed in the interview. Talking about how he made his character more authentic, Durgesh said:

“I shot for 45 days, and for authenticity, I didn’t bathe for 25 days. I even stayed awake for 2-3 nights to understand the mindset of a man on the run. My training at NSD and the Repertory Company helped a lot. I also learned driving for a month and trained in the Gujarati dialect for seven days.”

More popular films that Durgesh Kumar has been a part of 

After Highway, Durgesh Kumar went on to star in more films. However, all the roles were small and more often than not nameless. He appeared in Salman Khan's Sultan in the minor role of a wrestling commentator. In Sanju, Ranbir Kapoor and Durgesh played the role of another unnamed character, a postman. And in Jahnvi Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter's debut film, Dhadak, he played another supporting character called 'Bheema'. After more minor roles, he first appeared in one episode of the first season of Panchayat as a side character.

Durgesh's character made a huge ruckus when 'Sachivji' wrote the slogan 'Do bacche hai meethi kheer, use jyada bawaseer'. In season 2 of Panchayat, Durgesh got more screen time and his dialogue, 'Dekh raha hai Vinod', went on to become a viral meme that dominated social media for months. Durgesh Kumar also starred in Laapataa Ladies as 'Dubey ji', a police constable. Even though it was also a smaller role, many people recognised Durgesh due to Panchayat and highly appreciated his character in the film.

Durgesh Kumar revealed that even after successful films and shows, he finds it difficult to get work 

Durgesh Kumar has nor become a familiar face with his portrayal of 'Banrakas' in Panchayat and his role in Laapataa Ladies. However, the actor revealed in an interview with TOI that even after the popularity of Panchayat, he has not received a single call from any major production house in the last one and a half years. Durgesh said that even after working for 12 years in the industry, it is still a struggle. The Panchayat actor also said that he doesn't get the credit he deserves and critics never mention his name. But he has made peace with the fact that the audience loves his work. 

In the same interview, Durgesh Kumar revealed that he still has to chase casting directors for work. Even after the success of Highway, Panchayat and Laapataa Ladies, he has yet to receive a lead role. Durgesh said that he works with smaller producers who recognise his talent, but even though everyone knows him, he doesn't get any major offers. The actor said that he continues to audition and manages to score some roles, but it's all unpredictable. Durgesh said:

“In the last 1.5 years, I haven’t received an audition call from major production houses. I work with smaller producers who recognize my talent...The industry recognizes my work, but I still have to chase casting directors for auditions. Even after Highway and Panchayat, no major production house has offered me a lead role. Everyone knows me, yet I haven’t received any major offers. I continue to audition and get selected for some roles, but it’s unpredictable."

What are your thoughts on the career of the very talented actor, Durgesh Kumar and his struggle to find work even now?

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