The true story based on the real-life of Steve aka Somen Banerjee is depicted in Welcome to Chippendales HULU.
Welcome to Chippendales, an upcoming American television miniseries co-produced by Robert Siegal, Emily V. Gordon, Nora Silver, Rajiv Joseph, and others.
The series is inspired by the book named Deadly Dance: The Chippendales Murders, which K. Scot Macdonald and Patrick Montesdeoca wrote. The series follows the life and work of an Indian immigrant, Somen “Steve” Banerjee, who became the founder of Chippendales.
The miniseries will premiere on Hulu with two episodes, and there will be new episodes that will follow every week. The first episode is directed by Matt Shakman, known for directing well-established series like Game of Thrones, WandaVision, and many more.
Out of the eight episodes of the first season of the miniseries, the title of the two episodes of the series has been revealed. The first episode’s title is An Elegant, Exclusive Atmosphere, and the second is Four Geniuses. The rest of the six episodes are yet to be announced.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the upcoming eight-episode series has an average approval rating of 93%, with an average of 7.5 out of 10 reviews.
Is Welcome to Chippendales Based On A True Story?
The new series, Welcome to Chippendales, is a true-crime series based on the real-life story of Somen “Steve” Banerjee.
Chippendales is a group of dancers famous for their male strip performances and the dancer’s costumes with ties, bows, shirt cuffs, and collars. Somen “Steve” Banerjee, born in 1946 in Bombay, India, established a business called Chippendales club. This club featured men’s striptease in Los Angeles in 1979 after he moved from India to the United States to try and earn money from a business.
First, he managed a Mobil gas for some time, and he tried to get into a backgammon club which failed. Then he decided to shift his business toward discos. Even though he was intelligent, he went through a trial and error phase in the business world and was trying to figure out the cultural differences between America and his home country, India. After many attempts of failed businesses, he created the first all-men exotic dance troupe.
He worked his way from a male stripper manager over a period of time and soon had a series of business partners. After he founded his own striptease business, he went on to make millions of dollars from the club. Over 10,000 women attended the Chippendales show every month by the year 1982, only three years after its opening.
One of the promoters of the nightclub named Paul Snider, reportedly killed his Playboy Playmate wife named, Dorothy Stretten, in a murder/suicide.
In the year 1987, the owner of Chippendales had a dispute with Nick De Noia, who was the revue’s choreographer. He then hired a man to kill the choreographer following the dispute. He also went on to arrange other murders of the former choreographer, Michael Fullington, and other former dancers, thinking that they would be a competition to the franchise. The other murders were unsuccessful.
He was charged with murder for hire, racketeering, as well as other charges like arson. He was sentenced to 26 years in prison.
The series’s trailer was released on October 18, 2022, on Hulu on YouTube. The true-crime miniseries based on the life of the founder of Chippendales, Welcome To Chippendales, will release the first two episodes of the show on November 22, 2022, Tuesday on Hulu.
What Happened To The Real Somen “Steve” Banerjee?
The real Somen “Steve” Banerjee died on October 23, 1994, before his sentencing for attempted arson, murder for hire, and racketeering.
He was born on October 8, 1946, in Bombay, India, and moved to the United States to earn money. After years of living in the US and failed attempts to open businesses, he finally established Chippendales.
The founder of Chippendales was making millions with his successful business. However, after a dispute, he hired a person to kill Nick De Noia. Later, he also attempted to kill a former choreographer and some former dancers, which remained unsuccessful.
Later, he pleaded guilty to the charges of racketeering, murder for fire, and attempted arson. He would have been sentenced to 26 years in prison and loss of his shares in the company because of his plea deal with the court.
However, in the early morning of the day he was supposed to be sentenced, on October 23, 1994, he hanged himself and was found dead in the holding cell. According to Wikipedia, the report stated that even though he was depressed, people did not think that he would hang himself and take his own life.
He was married to Irene Banerjee from Los Angeles, California. She is said to be in her 70s; however, her date of birth has not been revealed to the public. According to ZGR, the businessman, while in prison, handed over the business to his wife. They divorced in 1994, and she sold the business that remained for $2.5 million.
After his former husband’s death, she petitioned to have her report action dismissed. The court removed all the details and files related to Irene following the fourth month of the initial filing of the petition. She and the entrepreneur had a son together when they were married. There is little to no information regarding their son.
Welcome to Chippendales Cast and Character Guide
The cast of the true-crime miniseries releasing on November 22, 2022, on Hulu are:
Kumail Nanjiani as Somen “Steve” Banerjee
Kumail Nanjiani plays the main character in the show. He portrays the character of Somen “Steve” Banerjee who moved to the United States from India and opened a million-dollar business, Chippendales in Los Angeles. He is involved in a dispute with a colleague and hires a hitman to kill him.
Other than his role as Banerjee, he is famous for working in Silicon Valley, Eternals, Adult Swim, Franklin & Bash. He has also voice acted in the famous animated show Adventure Time. The 44-year-old actor had been nominated for the Acadamy Award for Best Original Screenplay with his wife, Emily V. Gordon.
Murray Bartlett as Nick De Noia
In the miniseries, Welcome to Chippendales, 51-year-old Murray Bartlett plays the role of Nick De Noia. Nicholas John De Noia worked as a choreographer of the Chippendales dance troupe. His character is shot with a large pistol by a hitman who was hired by the owner of Chippendales, Steve Banerjee after a dispute between them.
The Australian actor is known for his roles in Looking, Tales of the City, and many more.
Annaleigh Ashford as Irene
Annaleigh Ashford portrays the role of Irene who is the main character’s love interest and future partner. She is involved with Banerjee in the Chippendales and suggests ways that the club could make more money. As he continues to grow his empire, she supports him and coaches him throughout the journey.
The actress born on June 25, 1985, is famous for her roles in Masters of Sex, Kinky Boots, Sunday in the Park with George, and others. She has won a Tony Award for her performance as Essie Carmichael in You Can’t Take It With You. Other than her acting career, she is also a singer and a dancer.
Dan Stevens as Paul Snider
The 40-year-old British actor, Dan Stevens characterizes Paul Snider in Welcome to Chippendales. He promotes the nightclub. He is a pimp that kills his wife, who is a Playboy model and an actress. After he kills her, he commits suicide with the same gun that he murdered his wife with.
The actor is well-known for playing the character of Mattew Crawley in the series Downton Abbey. He has also starred in other films like The Guest, live-action Beauty and the Beast, Apostle, and many more.
Other casts of Welcome to Chippendales are:
- Juliette Lewis as Denise
- Spencer Boldman as Lance McCrae
- Quentin Plair as Otis
- Robin de Jesus as Ray Colon
- Jen Cohn as Cheryl Levine