Now Bandar, Anurag Kashyap’s prison drama with Goel in a pivotal role, has premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Shanbag added to Goel’s theatre vocabulary like no other. Kashyap believes Goel’s success stems from his “quick uptake” in a new medium. Banerjee believes Goel’s rise goes against the grain of industry norms. As a thinking actor, Goel has slowly cemented his place among the triumvirate of directors—Kashyap, Banerjee, and later, Vasan Bala.