Akshay Oberoi has played diverse characters across his career—from a Haryanvi man in Shanker Raman's Gurgaon (2016) to a kind Air Force captain in Fighter (2024). But his upcoming film, Toxic, which will see him alongside Yash, will be something else, he's sure.
"I think my entire filmography will be on one side, and this film on one side," Oberoi tells The Hollywood Reporter India in an exclusive chat. Oberoi recalls reading out Moe Greene's lines from The Godfather in English to land the part. Filmmaker Geetu Mohandas wanted to hear how he sounded in English, and Oberoi's mind immediately went to Greene—the flamboyant, hot-headed mobster and casino owner played by Alex Rocco.
"I just wanted to impress her. And that Moe Green scene is a standout scene from the film. I always remember enjoying it as a kid, and here was a chance to recreate it. So I went all out and sent the scene and sure enough, I got the job and found out it was for Toxic. The film is the greatest gift on earth."
Excerpts from a conversation...
Tell us about what landing the part in 'Toxic' meant to you
I think my entire filmography aside, this film is on one side. I've been acting since I was 12. I've been doing theatre as a child, and this is a craft I've been studying forever. But this film shaped how I think about my own work and my own place in cinema. When you watch somebody like Boss [Yash], it's so inspiring. He carved his own path. You look at a man like him who says, 'I'm going to do it myself', and it gives you a whole new perspective on what is possible in a career.
What was it like filming with Geetu and Yash?
Geetu is one of the sharpest directors I've worked with. She was an actress herself; she really gets it, and she treats every actor like they're the biggest star on the planet. She gives everyone that respect. By the end of the movie, she wouldn't even have to tell me anything. She'd give me a look, and I knew what I needed to do in a scene. It was all kind of shorthand.
And Boss is Boss. The leadership and commitment that he displays fall in line with his dedication. He took this long after KGF to make his next film because he cares that much about giving good cinema to his audience and pushing the boundaries of India. He's on his way to putting India on a global platform. He's doing it with Ramayana and the kind of investment he's putting into films mentally and physically. He makes things that make you want to dream, to be like, 'I also want to follow in these footsteps.'
I also, in whatever limited capacity I have, want to push the boundaries of India on a global stage.
Tell us about your character Tony from the film
I remember, during the last day of shoot, I was like, 'Geetu, I don't want you to say cut on this last shot because that means a no-go and I don't want this to end.' I would wear those clothes, and I would feel the swag. Half the job is done for an actor if the costume and look are right. Once you wear it, your body language changes. Especially the way that my hair is falling in the film, the necklaces, the jackets and the high-waisted pants, the retro kind of thing, it gives me kind of a lot to work with. That’s what an actor looks forward to.
You’ve had a career with its share of highs and lows, from being part of the acclaimed Gurgaon, which recently had a homage screening, to the many turns your career has taken since. How do you look back at that journey today?
I've had a very slow and steady climb in the business. Nothing was taken away from me very fast, and nothing was given to me very fast. I think about it like a house I've built, one brick at a time. And there are pros and cons to everything.
The best part has been that the limelight was never fully on me. From the start of my career, I could play so many varied characters. I'm a boy from New Jersey, and I got a chance to play a Haryanvi Jaat. I've played a flesh trade owner from Bengal in Flesh.
By the time I started getting these bigger films, like Fighter, I felt really ready and prepared to take them on. And you don't know it at the time; you just keep going through the motions. And you're like, “okay, yeh film bhi nahi chali, yeh bhi nahi chali (this film also didn't work).” But there were always people who used to compliment my work as an actor. So that kept giving me confidence to keep going.
I look forward to a day where I can carry a big film on my name, and that should be the goal. If I shoot for that, I'll fall somewhere in between. So while I'm grateful to have even survived like this for so many years without really giving any massive hits in a business that is so dependent on commerce, somewhere I think my art was appreciated by people, and they kept giving me a chance.
Does it ever get difficult to hold on to that positivity when you’re going through a low phase?
I think we're naturally evolved to focus more on the things that bring us negative feelings and fears than happy thoughts. So as an actor, you really cannot do that. I don't want anything that cannot get me to where I want to be. So it's like meditating or doing yoga or lifting weights. You have to train the mind to not get into that space. This job is for gladiators sometimes (laughs). You have to be that ready to take on.
Speaking of massive things, you’re in ‘King’ next. What was it like being reunited with Siddharth Anand and working with Shah Rukh Khan?
It's my third time working with Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand, two of my favorite people in this industry. I have the greatest gratitude for them because if they didn't decide to take a chance on this like indie actor who's doing things like Gurgaon, Laal Rang and Kaalakaandi that had absolutely no box-office, and put them in a mainstream film like Fighter, I would not be here talking to you, and I wouldn't be in Toxic.
In fact, another piece of fun trivia that I hold dear is that Geetu told me that she wanted to cast me in Toxic after she saw me in Fighter.
I have a lot of gratitude for working on these two projects. And when it comes to King, Shah Rukh sir is also like that. He's so giving and kind, and he'll talk to you about anything under the sun.
He's the biggest star in the country, but he'll just sit there with you and pretend like you're the only person in the room that matters. He shows up on set when he's not required and gives cues to people when he's not in the shot. After all these years, he doesn't have to be doing any of that. But that shows you that if he's doing that, the rest of us better do that times 10.