NEXT IN LINE AKSHAY OBEROI

Born and brought up in the US, actor Akshay Oberoi feels that his connection with films is a gift from his father that made him passionate enough to live the dream of becoming an actor, and today, when he has made it, feels like a dream come true, where there is no scope for regrets. In conversation with TMM, he talks about his journey, the most challenging role till date, and why the concept of the director’s actor is misconstrued.

How and when did you fall in love with acting?

I guess my father played a big role in making me who I am today. I was 12, and he used to make me watch the films of Guru Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Balraj Sahni, and many more, and then post-movie, he used to have in-depth discussion about the plot and acting, and slowly I was so deeply soaked in the process that drove to me join the acting school and at 15, I joined Kishore Namit Acting Institute and from there the passion to become an actor started. Also, from the very beginning, my father told me that becoming a star is not in your hands, but becoming an actor is, so make sure that you study acting as an art form and evolve with it.

You are a passionate dancer too. Did you ever think of picking it as a career?

Honestly, I am not a passionate dancer; I learned dancing just to be a full package Hindi film actor. Slowly as I have evolved as an actor I don’t see myself dancing in front of the camera and it is quite visible in the types of films I have done till date. Also, now I see dancing as a separate entity and people who expertise in that. I don’t think I like the idea of actors as dancers, definitely not my cup of tea!