The year 2021 ends on a high note for actor Akshay Oberoi. He has had three back-to-back releases as the year draws to an end - Illegal 2, Dil Bekaraar and Inside Edge 3. "I had no idea that they will all release at once, and also it feels good that they were all received well. I actually feel very blessed," shared Akshay before he kicked off his vacation with his wife Jyothi and son Avyaan in the US.
He also added, "I have been working non-stop, so it is nice to relax for a bit and come back rejuvenated and work harder in 2022." All three recent releases see him playing different roles.
While in Illegal 2 he reprises the character of a hotshot lawyer, in Dil Bekaraar he plays an idealistic journalist, and in Inside Edge 3, he plays a sportsman who is a closeted homosexual. "It is like I am having a field day as an actor," quipped Akshay, adding that it fuels his hunger for more distinct roles.
Talking about OTT platforms and the edge it gave him, the 36-year-old reasoned, "It is a fascinating space. If I had to make an informed guess, since I have been working for a decade now in the industry and I know how the wheels of the industry work, I definitely wouldn’t have been where I am today if there was no OTT. Between 2020 and 2021, I have played a drug addict, a lawyer, and I have been in all kinds of time periods and thought processes."
In 2022, Akshay intends to finish shooting Cold first. It is a supernatural love story written by Mahesh Bhatt and directed by Vikram Bhatt. What does he look for in a script before signing? "I look at the unique factor in the script. That is what I feel I have to offer. Some people are good dancers while some ace at fighting sequences, but for me, it is the ability to do varied performances," he says.
"I want to keep offering the audience something new and risking myself every time," shared Akshay who strongly feels that anyone who decides to be an artiste is already gambling with their life so he might go all out.
Screen time, too, doesn't matter to him much as he is seen in a cameo in big directorial ventures. In the future, Akshay wants to do an out-and-out comedy because that's something missing from his diverse discography at the moment.
('Dil Bekaraar' is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)