Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; April 13, 2016)
Akshay Oberoi was launched by one of the biggest banners in Bollywood but his career didn't take off as he would have ideally expected. And yet the promising actor held his nerve. Bejoy Nambiar's horror film Pizza came along and its decent run at the box office kept his hopes alive. In an uninhibited chat, the light-eyed actor talks about his struggles, his strange rivalry with Ranveer Singh and the forthcoming film, Laal Rang, in which he shares screen space with Randeep Hooda.
The start of your career was a wee bit disappointing, despite a fairly good launch.
My debut film Isi Life Mein tanked at the box office. Salman Khan helped us in the marketing aspect to a certain extent, but the movie wasn't promoted well. After that, there was a huge lull for two-three years. I went back to cold calling directors, which is a painful process. Being rejected is a terrible feeling, especially if the beginning seems promising. But all that pain has taught me a lot.
Many believed that being Vivek Oberoi's cousin would boost your career.
People who know me are aware that I've done everything on my own.
What's your equation with Vivek?
Unfortunately, we don't know each other well. We grew up separately. He is a good actor and I feel he should be where he deserves to be.
Ranveer Singh and you were launched around the same time in 2010. Did his rapid rise to stardom affect you?
His debut film did very well. It is hard to see an actor who started out with you, moving ahead and achieving so much success. You wonder, “What did I do wrong?“ You develop a complex. But once you stop feeling bad about yourself, you learn to fight the insecurities. You tell yourself that what happened to someone in two years, might take you longer. Every actor has his own journey.
How was it working with Randeep Hooda in Laal Rang?
I have a man crush on him, on and off the screen. He is not pretentious. I have learnt a lot from him. I still haven't reached a stage where the spotlight is on me, so I work in a simple way. I don't have assistants around me. I don't even have a make-up artist. While Randeep has all those privileges, he is still rooted. It's important to not get lost in the trappings of stardom.
What do you think of him?
We share a guru-shishya rapport in the film. When he first met me, I don't think he liked me, though I have always idolised him. I could relate to Randeep's journey, because like him, even I didn't have a Godfather in the industry.
Who else do you idolise?
There is so much pressure on actors, especially if you are of a certain age and not in the same bracket as actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Varun Dhawan. You don't get too much love from the industry when you are trying to make a mark. I idolise Amitabh Bachchan saab, Irrfan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Randeep as they didn't get caught up in the rat race. They don't have limitations. They keep building their skill sets, hence you will see them doing a variety of things like TV, short films, etc.
What is Laal Rang about?
Based on a true story, the film revolves around blood mafia, which is a heinous crime. Blood is bought from the poor for a meagre amount and sold at an exorbitant rate outside, without being tested. Hospital authorities allow this to happen. It's an under-the-table business. This is the worst kind of corruption as you are playing with people's lives.
The start of your career was a wee bit disappointing, despite a fairly good launch.
My debut film Isi Life Mein tanked at the box office. Salman Khan helped us in the marketing aspect to a certain extent, but the movie wasn't promoted well. After that, there was a huge lull for two-three years. I went back to cold calling directors, which is a painful process. Being rejected is a terrible feeling, especially if the beginning seems promising. But all that pain has taught me a lot.
Many believed that being Vivek Oberoi's cousin would boost your career.
People who know me are aware that I've done everything on my own.
What's your equation with Vivek?
Unfortunately, we don't know each other well. We grew up separately. He is a good actor and I feel he should be where he deserves to be.
Ranveer Singh and you were launched around the same time in 2010. Did his rapid rise to stardom affect you?
His debut film did very well. It is hard to see an actor who started out with you, moving ahead and achieving so much success. You wonder, “What did I do wrong?“ You develop a complex. But once you stop feeling bad about yourself, you learn to fight the insecurities. You tell yourself that what happened to someone in two years, might take you longer. Every actor has his own journey.
How was it working with Randeep Hooda in Laal Rang?
I have a man crush on him, on and off the screen. He is not pretentious. I have learnt a lot from him. I still haven't reached a stage where the spotlight is on me, so I work in a simple way. I don't have assistants around me. I don't even have a make-up artist. While Randeep has all those privileges, he is still rooted. It's important to not get lost in the trappings of stardom.
What do you think of him?
We share a guru-shishya rapport in the film. When he first met me, I don't think he liked me, though I have always idolised him. I could relate to Randeep's journey, because like him, even I didn't have a Godfather in the industry.
Who else do you idolise?
There is so much pressure on actors, especially if you are of a certain age and not in the same bracket as actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh and Varun Dhawan. You don't get too much love from the industry when you are trying to make a mark. I idolise Amitabh Bachchan saab, Irrfan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Randeep as they didn't get caught up in the rat race. They don't have limitations. They keep building their skill sets, hence you will see them doing a variety of things like TV, short films, etc.
What is Laal Rang about?
Based on a true story, the film revolves around blood mafia, which is a heinous crime. Blood is bought from the poor for a meagre amount and sold at an exorbitant rate outside, without being tested. Hospital authorities allow this to happen. It's an under-the-table business. This is the worst kind of corruption as you are playing with people's lives.
