Abhishek Banerjee has taken a nostalgic trip down memory lane, celebrating 23 years of friendship with co-star Divyenndu as their film 'Mirzapur: The Movie' continues to draw audiences to cinemas across India. The heartfelt tribute, shared on a photo-sharing platform, traces the duo's bond all the way back to Kirori Mal College in 2003.

A Friendship Rooted in College Theatre

In his post, Abhishek recalled how Divyenndu — his senior at Kirori Mal College and a fellow member of the Players theatre group — shaped his understanding of the craft in ways no formal classroom could. Writing 'Bhaukaling since 2003,' he described the two as 'two boys from the same city, chasing the same dream, both a little paglu for a certain big B.'

He added: 'The College senior who taught me more about acting than any classroom did. The world knows him as Munna Bhaiya. I've known him since before this bhaukaal existed as Divyendu, my friend, my teacher, my partner in crime on that campus.'

Two Decades Later, a Century on Screen

Reflecting on the arc of their journey, Abhishek wrote: 'Two decades later, life's brought us back to share a screen and this time, it's Mirzapur and yesss we have hit a century. Truly magical and almost a tale of fiction.' The reference to 'a century' aligns with the film's reported entry into the ₹100 crore club at the box office.

Divyenndu responded warmly to the post, writing: 'I think we are doing decently well [red heart emojis] For Life [champagne glasses emoji].'

Mirzapur: The Movie — Cast and Production

'Mirzapur: The Movie', released on 4 September in cinema halls, has been directed by Gurmeet Singh and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under the banner of Excel Entertainment. The film reunites the franchise's core ensemble, with Pankaj Tripathi reprising his role as Akhandanand 'Kaleen Bhaiya' Tripathi, Ali Fazal as Govind 'Guddu' Pandit, and Divyenndu as Phoolchand 'Munna' Tripathi.

The cast also includes Jitendra Kumar as Vinay 'Bablu' Pandit, Rasika Dugal as Beena Tripathi, Shweta Tripathi as Gajgamini 'Golu' Gupta, Shriya Pilgaonkar as Swaragini 'Sweety' Gupta, and Harshita Gaur as Dimpy Pandit.

What the Box Office Numbers Say

Entering the ₹100 crore club within days of its 4 September release, 'Mirzapur: The Movie' has underscored the franchise's enduring pull with Indian audiences. The transition from a streaming series to a theatrical feature was a significant creative and commercial bet for Excel Entertainment — one that appears to be paying off. Notably, this is among the few Indian web-series-to-film adaptations to achieve this scale at the box office.

With the film still running in theatres, all eyes will be on whether it sustains momentum through the coming weeks.