Akshay Oberoi has been around in showbiz for quite some time now, however, after years of struggle, the actor seems to be finally getting his due. He will be next seen in Vikram Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt's romantic-horror film, 'Judaa Hoke Bhi'.
In an exclusive tête-à-tête with The Free Press Journal, Akshay spills the beans on the upcoming film, his journey in Bollywood, the challenges he faced, and more.
Akshay plays a washed-out singer, Aman, in 'Judaa Hoke Bhi', and the story revolves around his fight to get back the love of his life and rise from the ashes. The actor reveals that he had agreed to do the film even before he had heard the story.
"The reason I took up 'Judaa Hoke Bhi' was because I really wanted to work with the Bhatts. They are stalwarts. When they called me and said they wanted to cast me in the film, it was a no-brainer for me. It had to be a yes!" he says.
Akshay cannot help but gush about Vikram and Mahesh Bhatt. "The level of passion they have for filmmaking is unparalleled. Even after making movies for 40 years, they still come on set with the energy as if it's their first film. I am so grateful to have worked with them at least once in this lifetime, and I hope I get another shot with them," he avers.
Interestingly, 'Judaa Hoke Bhi' is India's first film that has been shot using virtual reality. Giving a gist of what that actually means, Akshay explains, "Basically, the entire film is made using an LED and computers. There is not much VFX usage that is done post production. Instead, if we want a mountain in a scene, then it is present right behind us when we shoot. There is no need to edit it into the scene later."
He adds, "It is the future of cinema. Hollywood is already using the technique on a massive scale, and it will be a gamechanger if Bollywood adopts it too."
Even though Akshay has quite a few critically acclaimed films to his credit, the actor still hopes to get that one big box office hit. "The audiences and critics have always been very kind to notice and appreciate my work which is why I survived. The whole 'star' fiasco is coming to an end and people want to see real performers, which is why I am around," he shares.
He continues, "I have my own weaknesses and I have sacrificed a ton for this career, but all of that is worth it because I love what I do. However, I believe that this is an art made for commerce, and it isn't easy when you're not making the moolah."
"I would've been finished if not for OTT and the digital age. My films like 'Kaalakaandi' and 'Gurgaon' were talked about in film circles, but until you don't deliver something successful moneywise, the struggle continues. The metric of success in our industry is money. But I'm pretty sure I'll deliver that hit someday," he assures.
Akshay will be next seen in 'Gaslight', along with a murder mystery, an action film and a social satire, all before the end of 2022. However, the actor is still not satisfied, and shares that he really hopes to work in a biopic.
"I would love to do a biopic because that will really prove my mettle as an actor. When a person exists for real and I come and play them in a movie, people can draw a direct comparison of how well I could fit in their shoes," he quips.
"I have failed so much earlier in my career that I am not scared of failures anymore. So I just want to do all that comes my way and be a better actor each day," he concludes.
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