Akshay Oberoi says the film industry was not easy

Although he has one of the well-known surnames in Bollywood, his path to becoming an actor was not an easy one. ‘Fighter’ was inspired by Hrithik Roshan’s debut film to become an actor and eventually his latest Bollywood film ‘Fighter’, which is also the first blockbuster of 2024, shares his inspiration and idols. shared screen space with. Deccan Chronicle spoke to Akshay Oberoi, Squadron Leader ‘Bash’ in the film Fighter, congratulated him on his great performance and spoke at length about his journey in Bollywood.

First of all. Did the Oberoi surname help you in any way?

I’m a guy who’s worked my way through the 14 years leading up to “The Fighter,” even though I’ve played even one-minute roles in movies. With that kind of help, you don’t have to struggle like I did.

Who inspired you to become an actor?

His recent co-stars include Hrithik Roshan, James Dean, Johnny Depp, Amitabh Bachchan, Guru Dutt and Dilip Kumar among many others. But I think it all started with Hrithik Roshan. Because I think I was about 15 years old when I saw Kaho Na Peer Hai in Morristown, New Jersey, where I grew up. Perhaps that’s what made me decide to pursue an acting career.

What challenges have you faced in your acting career?

I’ve faced many challenges, from being rejected, to films failing, to signing projects that were never actually produced or even released after being produced, to being replaced at the last minute. Ta. But then I realized that the important thing is to keep my head strong and keep working. This is a very difficult business, which is why if you look into it, no matter how great a superstar is, his hit rate must be 25-30%. About 60-70% of their works fail. And those are big, big stars. So I learned a lot and worked with some great people. It’s just that it took me a while to establish myself.

You played an important role in The Fighter. How did you get the role?

I appeared on a show called Flesh, where I played the antagonist, a transgender body trade owner. It was directed by Danish Aslam and produced by Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand. Although it was not seen by many people, it received high praise from many critics. After that, Mamta called me and asked me to do something with her. She recommended Fighter and I jumped on it. I couldn’t have missed the opportunity to star in a Siddharth Anand film starring Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor and Karan Singh Grover.

Every day of filming was magical. Every day was a new anecdote. There were so many legends and organizations around me like AK Sir, Hrithik, Deepika, Siddharth Anand, people with so much knowledge and experience. In addition to that, we are at an air force base, wearing air force uniforms, sitting in a Sukhoi 30, doing aerial action. This is my favorite experience ever.

Hrithik is a great dancer. What was it like matching your steps with him?

I think that was the only time I was nervous. For the past five days, I’ve had sleepless nights and my heart has been pounding. I was feeling very stressed. Hrithik taught the nation to dance, but his only competition is Michael Jackson. As an actor, I am very confident in my abilities, no matter who is in front of me. But as a dancer, no amount of dancing can match Hrithik. But what a joy it is to sit next to your childhood idol on the big screen and see yourself dancing side by side.

What do you say to people who called fighters jingoists?

I don’t know what to say because jingoism is so subjective. Of course we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. But what someone might call patriotism, someone else might call national pride. For me, this is a movie based on real events. We were attacked by certain countries and we retaliated. Therefore, you need to present your story with authenticity. More than that, the purpose was not to hurt anyone or stir up negative sentiments against the nation.

What has changed since you became a fighter?

My work is finally reaching a wider audience. More people know me. Maybe more people will go back and connect the dots and say he’s the same guy they’ve seen on Pizza or Inside Edge or whatever. Because I’ve been working on paving the way for years. And I’m so happy to have a movie like The Fighter. My work has never reached an audience this deep and far. I mean, that’s a big change for any actor.

What is one thing you learned from these people?

Siddharth Anand — There is no one more passionate than Siddharth. It comes to me when I think about him. He understands movies very well. The Fighter is his best movie. Years from now, when people look back, this will be a very groundbreaking film. I learned how to be clear-headed, calm, and make decisions instinctively even during times of increased stress.

Hrithik Roshan — He has such a big heart for such a megastar. Everywhere we went, he took Karan and I with him to promote the film. And when you see someone 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 person. It’s very difficult to be such a huge star, but she balances it with so much dignity and grace. And I see it every time I see her. I’ve always had a deep respect for that.

Anil Kapoor — I learned so much from him. But one of the things I learned from Dr. AK is that if you want to survive in this industry and stay involved for a long time, you have to be as enthusiastic, ready to learn, and ready to give your effort as a newcomer. This means that you have to be able to do this and show up on site every day. The best. It’s very difficult to do now, after so many decades and so many films, but he pulls it off.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?

The best compliment I ever received was from my 6-year-old son, Avian. His eyes lit up every time I talked about fighter jet sets. Because the idea and concept of his father playing a fighter pilot was so cool to him. So his wife Jyoti and I decided to take him to the screening. Ironically, this was also the first movie he went to the theater to see. After the movie was over, he hugged me and said with a big smile, “That was great.”