Exclusive! Rana Naidu actress Priya Banerjee recalls working with the late Irrfan Khan

Rarely does a newcomer get the chance to work with three iconic actors in their debut film. But this was the reality for actress Priya Banerjee, who is seen in the web series Rana Naidu, which also stars Rana Daggubati and Venkatesh Daggubati.

Priya made her Bollywood debut with the 2015 film Jazbaa, which had Shabana Azmi, Irrfan Khan, and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in lead roles.

In a special conversation with OTTplay, the actress recalls her first ever day of shoot.

Priya said, "It was an important and interactive scene, and I was nervous. It was the first day of shooting, and I felt a lot of pressure, because in my head I was saying, 'Priya, you are going to act with Shabana Azmi, who is like an institution of acting, so you can't mess it up!' I was mugging my lines and I wanted to get everything right. I think that she noticed it from my body language, so she walked up to me and made me feel at ease."

The young actress went on to add, "She (Shabana) told me, 'Do whatever you think is right, and I will go along with it. It will flow, don't worry'. I think there is a reason that actors like her are legends. They know how to make a debutant feel secure and settled. Although I did not have any scenes with Irrfan sir, I was a huge fan, so I used to go to the set even when I did not have scenes, silently sitting behind the monitor to watch him perform live. He was magical in real life."

"He was flawless, and he did everything so calmly, be it a big or small scene. There was always a calm aura around him and he was unfazed by anything happening around him on a film set. His contribution to Indian cinema is irreplaceable," shared Priya. 

The actress felt incredibly lucky to get the opportunity to work with and create vivid memories with Aishwarya as well, who she idolised as a child. 

Ask her how she feels about acting alongside iconic actors like Rana Daggubati and Venkatesh Daggubati in Rana Naidu, and Priya says, "I am grateful to have always been a part of big projects and worked with legendary actors in my career so far." 

Rana Naidu, created by Karan Anshuman, is the Indian adaptation of the American series Ray Donovan . It also stars Suchitra Pillai, Gaurav Chopra, and Surveen Chawla. It is currently streaming on Netflix.