Talktime| Akshay Oberoi

His debut movie bombed at the BO & he was jobless for years. He then trained as an actor and did movies like Pizza, Fitoor and laal Rang. Akshay, Vivek Oberoi’s cousin, will now be seen in Gurgaon playing a Haryanvi Jat. He speaks to Sangeeta Yadav about his ups and downs

Your upcoming movie Gurgaon is inspired from the true events.

Gurgaon is infamous for being a hub for crime. The director has taken cues from real stories that have been reported in the media to make this film. It is a reflection of the society we are living in and how crime is growing in this region. The name itself tells you that it is going to be a dark drama-crime thriller.

What did you do to get into the skin of the characterIJ

To begin with, I had to get the accent correct. So, for two months, four hours a day, I used to get coaching from Prakash Kakkar who trained Aamir Khan for Dangal and other actors. I saw a lot of Haryanvi films and listened to Haryanvi songs. The biggest challenge was to understand what the character was actually going through. Once I got that, everything fell into place. The more challenging the characters are, the fun it is to play. Now I can play this character 50 times over if I had to.

Tell us about your roleIJ

Nikki Singh is a typical Haryanvi Jatt. His father, a real estate tycoon, thinks that Nikki is brash, insolent and good for nothing person. Nikki takes things easy since he feels the business will come to him one day but it goes to his younger sister Preet played by Ragini Khanna. Nikki takes revenge from his father. He feels that to achieve what he wants, any action is correct.

You will also be sharing a screen space with Saif Ali Khan in Kaalakaandi.

Gurgaon and Kaalakaandi are the two opposite ends of the spectrum. In Kaalakandi, I play Angad, Saif’s younger brother, who is well travelled and getting married. The story revolves around underworld gangsters and a love story and how everything collides. I can relate more to Angad in real life than Nikki.

Your debut movie Isi life Mein by Sooraj Barjatya bombed. What impact did it haveIJ

It was not a struggle to get a break in Bollywood but to develop faith in the filmmakers that I am a good actor. If your first film fails, Bollywood will write you off. When my movie bombed at the BO, I was jobless for two-and-a-half years. I never thought the movie would flop so badly. The days that followed were frustrating as the industry people didn’t even acknowledge me.

What did you doIJ

I went back to the theatre. I asked myself what I really wanted. Was I doing it for fame, money or myself. I would wake up every day and had a list of people who I would message, try to meet them and show up at their office. I must have given over a 1,000 auditions. I was terrible at promoting myself. Everybody around me was aggressive. There was pressure on me since most of my friends were well settled. I felt I was a burden on my patents. People started giving me all kinds of advise but I filtered all that out and focussed on improving my craft. I bagged some TV shows and webseries which were a good exposure. I always believed that I have what it takes to be an actor. The struggle has made be better.

Your second movie Pizza by Bejoy Nambiar was a huge hit.

Pizza left a big impact on my career. I started getting calls and bagged a role in Bombairiya which is slated to release this year. Then there was Fitoor, laal Rang, Gurgaon, and Kaalakaandi.

Was being Suresh Oberoi’s nephew, put pressure on youIJ

There was no pressure as such though I want to be an actor. I was doing everything on my own. I didn’t have anybody to guide me.

Other projects.

After Gurgaon and Kaalakaandi, my next release is a webseries titled Bar Code. It tells you the story of the people of Mumbai’s night clubs — their life and hardships they face.

the struggle was not about getting a break in Bollywood but to develop faith in the filmmakers that I am a good actor. If your first film fails, Bollywood writes you off