Akshay Oberoi On Life After 'Fighter': "Hey, Basheer Miyaan!" People Greet Me In The Streets! (LatestLY Exclusive!)
One can observe the residue of the character he played in Fighter lingering on, as Akshay Oberoi carries himself in real life these days!
Actor Akshay Oberoi is not new to garnering critical acclaim for his acting repertoire. Right from his debut film Pizza to his beautifully portrayed role in the much acclaimed Gurgaon to the blood-curdling portrayal in Flesh, the 37-year-old has been largely impressive as indeed interesting with the range he displays as a performer. With his recent big-ticket outing Fighter though Oberoi is fetching attention on a larger scale thanks to the mass audience the film has reached and minted Rs 350 crore at the ticket windows. "Commercial success is just a part of it, but what popular cinema does to you in terms of larger projection is something else! I walk on the street and people go "Hey Basheer Miyaan! and I enjoy that kind of attention and popularity as well," confesses Akshay reffering to his character Basheer Khan aka Bash, a fighter pilot of the larger unit called Air Dragons, in the movie. "I have worked with director Siddharth Anand before in Flesh where my character was all darkness, but in Fighter I play a character with a linear arc, a nice guy with no shades of grey." says Akshay as we chat over a cup of freshly brewed coffee at his warm and cosy pad in Bandra, Mumbai.
"This the closest I can get to bring who I am in totality. I am this nice, soft- spoken, regular nice guy, but I walked so much away from being that person as far as my choice of roles is concerned, that I couldn't equally explore the naivety and the nice image in films to good effects, which I am glad has happened thanks to Fighter and director Siddharth Anand," he adds. ALSO READ: Fighter Box Office: Hrithik Roshan-Deepika Padukone’s Aerial Action Film Grosses Rs 352 Crore Worldwide in Its Fourth Weekend!
One can observe the residue of the character he played in Fighter lingering on, as Oberoi carries himself in real life these days. "I can be slouchy at times with my postures, but because I had to play this air-force guy I had to adopt the way these people stand, the way they speak or carry themselves in genral . And what you are in the professional arena shapes up ultimately who you are ultimately. You see their spines are ram-rod straight and their speech is clear and impeccable. So those characteristics stay with you in a good way," he smiles.
In a film that boasts an ensemble performers and big stars such as Anil Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan, does one discuss with the director how much emphasis one gets as a performer? "For Sidharth I could just walk in a frame and walk off, if that was the requirement of his project. I am glad he gave me the part that allowed me to play in such a big film and I hope I didn't let him down," responds Oberoi. ALSO READ: Deepika Padukone at BAFTA 2024: Captured! Pathaan Actress Presenting 'Best Film Not in the English Language' Award to Jonathan Glazer (View Pics)
When he reflects on his filmography and the body of work so far, does the honey-eyed actor feel if he has gotten his dues, given the fact that, as an artist one strives to achieve that critical balance between commerce and creativity, we quiz him. " Saif Ali Khan told me once- hey, you are good at what you do, so just keep at it and one day people will turn back and start noticing even the smallest of the parts you had played here and there! So be it Pizza or Kalakandi or Gurgaon or Flesh, all these have been great experiences for me to enrich me as a performer. I was born in the US and I came here to pursue my passion for acting. This city and this industry has given me the pehchaan and I am really fortunate to have recieved what I have so far. Certain factors are beyond me and I must therefore focus on what I can do to the best of my ability by keeping at it and by working sincerely," he signs off on an optimistic note.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 22, 2024 12:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).