Didn’t Have It Easy In The Movie Business, States Akshay Oberoi

He has one of the well-recognised surnames in the Bollywood but didn’t have it easy in his journey to become an actor; was inspired by Hrithik Roshan’s debut film to become an actor, eventually sharing screen space with his inspiration and idol in his latest Bollywood outing which is also the first blockbuster of 2024 - Fighter. Deccan Chronicle caught up with Akshay Oberoi - Squadron Leader “Bash” from the movie Fighter to congratulate him on his fantastic performance and to get a lowdown on his Bollywood Journey.

First things first. Has the Oberoi Surname helped you in any way?

I'm a guy who's done even one-minute roles in movies and worked my way for the last 14 years leading up to 'Fighter'.You don't struggle like I did if you have help in that way.

Who inspired you to become an actor?

Many people, including my most recent co-star Hrithik Roshan, James Dean, Johnny Depp, Amitabh Bachchan, Guru Dutt, Dilip Kumar. But I think it all started with Hrithik Roshan because I must have been around 15 when I saw Kaho Na Pyar Hai in Morristown, New Jersey, where I grew up. That's probably what made me decide to pursue acting career.

What kind of challenges have you faced in your acting journey?

Have faced lots of challenges ranging from rejection, films failing, signing projects which actually never got made or were never released after being made and even getting replaced at the last minute. But then I realised that the important thing is to keep your head strong and to continue working as this is a very difficult business and that's why if you look, the hit ratio of even the biggest superstars must be 25-30%. Around 60-70% of their material flops. And those are big, big stars. So, I have learned a lot and worked with some great people. It's just that it's taken a while to establish myself.

You had a pivotal role in Fighter. How did you land the role?

I had done a show called Flesh, where I played the antagonist who is a transgender flesh trade owner. It was directed by Danish Aslam and produced by Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand. While it was not watched by a lot of people, it received a lot of critical acclaim. Mamta had called me after that and said let's do something else together. She offered me Fighter and I jumped at it. There was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to be in a Siddharth Anand film starring Hritik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor and Karan Singh Grover.

Every day of the shoot was magical. Every day was a new anecdote. There were so many legends and institutions around me—AK sir, Hrithik, Deepika, Siddharth Anand—people with so much knowledge and people with so much experience. And on top of that, we are shooting on an Air Force base, wearing the air force uniform, sitting in Sukhoi 30s, doing aerial action. This has been my favorite experience so far.

Hrithik is a great dancer. How was it like to match steps with him?

I think that was the only time I felt nervous. I had sleepless nights and my heart was racing for those five days. I was feeling very stressed. Hrithik taught the nation how to dance and his only competition is Michael Jackson. While as an actor, I'm very confident about my abilities no matter who's in front of me. But as a dancer, while I dance but I can't match Hrithik. But what a joy it is, to sit and watch myself dance side by side next to my childhood idol on the big screen.

What do you have to say to those who called Fighter Jingoistic?

I don't know what to say because jingoism is so subjective. Of course, we don't want to hurt anyone's sentiments. But what somebody might call jingoistic, somebody might call national pride. For me, this is the movie based on true events. We were attacked by a particular country and we retaliated. So, we need to present the story with authenticity. Beyond that, the intent was not to hurt anyone or stir up negative sentiments against any nation.

What has changed for you after Fighter?

My work has finally reached a larger audience. More people know who I am. More people will now probably hopefully go back and connect the dots and say he's the same guy from Pizza, Inside edge or whatever they have seen, because I have been at it for years trying to carve a path. And it's just so nice that you get a film like Fighter. My work has never reached an audience this deep and this far. So that's a massive change for any actor.

Tell us one thing you've learned from the following people

Siddharth Anand—There's nobody more passionate than Siddharth. I gush when I think about him. He understands cinema so well. Fighter is his best movie. Years from now when people look back, this is going to be a very path-breaking movie. I learned how to be clear headed and calm and make instinctive decisions even when the stress is mounting.

Hrithik Roshan—He's got a very large heart for somebody who's such a megastar. Everywhere we went, he took me and Karan with him to promote the movie. Also, to see a guy like him, who is so good at everything practicing and rehearsing just to get it right—that level of work ethic is insane.

Deepika—She knows how to keep it real and be a real human being. Being such a huge star is such a difficult thing, but she balances it with so much dignity and grace. And I see it every time I have met her. I've always felt deep respect for that.

Anil Kapoor—I've learned so many things from him. But the one thing I learned from AK sir is that if you want to survive and stay relevant in this business for long time, you have to show up every day on the set like a newcomer, eager, ready to learn, ready to give your best. And that is so difficult after so many decades and so many movies, but he does it.

What's the best compliment you have received so far?

Best compliment I have received so far is from my six year old son, Avyaan. Every time I mentioned Fighter sets, his eyes would light up because I think the idea and the notion of his father playing a fighter pilot was very cool to him. So my wife Jyothi and I decided to take him to the screening, which is also ironically, the first film he's ever gone to the cinema to see. And after the movie ended, he hugged me and said that was awesome with a huge smile on his face.