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Friendship Day offers the perfect opportunity to revisit stories of bonds that have stood the test of time, and actors Abhishek Banerjee and Divyenndu have one such friendship. Their association stretches back more than 20 years, beginning in the corridors of Delhi University's Kirori Mal College before evolving into a lasting relationship in the entertainment industry. From performing in college plays to sharing screen space years later, the duo reflected on how their friendship has remained unchanged despite fame, success and the demands of showbiz.

College theatre brought them togetherTheir journey began in the early 2000s when Divyenndu, a senior at Kirori Mal College, first met Abhishek Banerjee through theatre.

Recalling those days, Abhishek shared with Hindustan Times, "He is one year senior to me from college, and he was our favourite senior. We all worshipped him like a hero, much like we love him as Munna Bhaiyya. He had the same aura in college, but of course, not in the gangster world. So, when I moved to Mumbai, he was always the first person I called for any piece of advice."

Divyenndu explained that while they knew each other during college, their friendship truly deepened much later.

"We knew each other. We did plays in college together, which became a rage in Delhi University. We worked very closely on that. However, if you ask about friendship, bonding and understanding each other, it all started during the shooting days [of a series we did together] around 2016-2017."

Success never created distanceThe actors said they have always celebrated each other's achievements rather than feeling competitive.

Speaking about Divyenndu's success after ' Pyaar Ka Punchnama ', Abhishek said, "No, never have I felt bad [about his success]. There was never a scope that you feel bad for someone you know for so many years. When 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama' came, that was a hero moment for all of us. Because it was like, 'one of ours has reached that stage'. Whenever I kept seeing him grow, I realised that, there's a huge chance, because he has come and done things from scratch. There's no godfather. Nobody he could go to or ask for work and who would give him work so easily. So, when someone like him was doing it, it used to give us a lot of motivation."

Divyenndu, meanwhile, praised Abhishek for his work in casting.

"I was very proud of him because he was doing an amazing job in casting [with his company]. When I started out, there was hardly anything which was organised. But when I saw Abhishek taking some very sensible decisions, and casting actors on their merit, I felt really proud. And we are very secure people, and we know what our paths are, and we will not cross each other, we will walk together."

Friendship has remained exactly the sameDespite their busy schedules, both believe the foundation of their friendship has never changed.

Abhishek joked, "Him ragging me, that is like a lifelong thing (laughs)."

Divyenndu added, "Honestly, jokes apart, our belief system, in terms of working, that we really respect what we do and we don't take that for granted. We can have fun on sets, but if we are working on a scene, we go back to our college days. We go back to the basics."

The story behind 'Beela'One of the most amusing parts of their friendship is Divyenndu's nickname for Abhishek, "Beela."

Explaining its origin, Divyenndu said, "It is actually a tussle between my wife, Akanksha, [Shamra] and me. We were all in the same college. The theory goes that she named him Beela because she thought he had eyes like a cat. So, like a male Billa (cat), and that eventually became Beela. And my point of view is that he had just one expression in college. And I used to say, ' yeh thoda beela hai '. It doesn't have any meaning; it is a feeling. But I would like to say on record that I don't like anybody else calling him that. So, people who try to get too friendly and call him Beela, please don't do this."

What friendship means to themFor Divyenndu, friendships are among life's most meaningful relationships.

"For me, friendship holds a really high point in life. Everything else you get as a default. You don't get to choose your parents or your siblings. Your friendship really tells who you are. That is very important for me. Mere dost mere bohot kareeb hai because I have invested in that kind of relationship with them." (My friends are extremely close to me because I have invested deeply in those relationships.)

Abhishek, who is an only child, described friends as family.

"I am the only child. For me, it's like a sibling relationship. I don't even know the disadvantages of a sibling relationship. For me, it's like a comfort zone. Because I don't have anybody to talk to about my own personal issues. Because there's no brother or sister, and mom and dad are different age groups. So, friendship is a very important relationship."

A friendship built on coincidence and telepathyLooking back, Abhishek believes destiny had a role in bringing them together.

"There was definitely some part of destiny [that we met]. Where we come from, how we met. We started doing shows and working together. We ended up staying in the same building; our in-laws are in the same colony, legit like four bungalows, and that too in Delhi. Too many coincidences in life."

Divyenndu concluded by revealing another unique aspect of their bond.

"We have a very strong telepathy. If I am thinking of anything I have to talk about, and he calls, and vice versa. We have telepathic connections, clearly. It's God's gift. If there is any karmic connection, we definitely have it."