In a candid reflection on his evolving journey as an actor, Akshay Oberoi opened up about his affinity for grey characters and the transformative power of acting. Best known for his layered performances in Gurgaon, Love Hostel, Gaslight, and the underappreciated series High, the actor shared his perspective on why complex roles excite him far more than straightforward ones.
“If I keep playing myself all the time, it’s not fun,” Akshay said. “I really enjoy playing roles like these, and now I look forward to such roles. I don’t care about the duration — the role could be of five minutes — it should leave a lasting impression on the audience.”
Reflecting on the beginnings of his darker, more intense on-screen persona, Akshay added, “It’s not like I was looking for such roles, these roles came to me. Directors saw something in me, they thought I could pull off such roles, and I kept doing them. And of course, there is some typecasting in our line of work, so people thought I do better grey shade roles — ‘he has those sort of eyes’ — so they kept calling me, and it worked out that way.”
While his characters may often be shadowed in moral ambiguity, Akshay insists the real him is quite the opposite. “I am not at all like that in real life. I am such a naïve and positive person. Plus, I enjoy exploring myself, so when I play a grey role, I get in touch with a part of me which I didn’t know existed in me. And I guess that is the fun of acting.”
From standout roles in films like Kaalakaandi, Thar, Fighter, to acclaimed series such as Illegal, Flesh, and The Test Case, Akshay continues to be a quiet but formidable presence in Indian cinema. He’ll soon be seen in Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, sharing screen space with superstar Yash, in what promises to be another genre-bending project.