📌 Key Points
- Akshay Oberoi reunites with director Siddharth Anand for the film ‘King’ starring SRK.
- His antagonist role in the web series ‘Flesh’ was a “transvestite, flesh trade owner.”
- Akshay’s wife refused to share a bed with him for weeks after watching ‘Flesh’.
- He considers Siddharth and Mamta Anand his “guardian angels” in the industry.
Actor Akshay Oberoi, gearing up for Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘King’, shares a candid anecdote about his intense role in the web series ‘Flesh’. He reveals how his portrayal of a dark character led to a surprising reaction from his wife, highlighting the impact of his performance.
Reunion with Siddharth Anand for ‘King’
Actor Akshay Oberoi is currently busy gearing up for King, one of the most awaited Bollywood films of the year. It marks his first project with actor Shah Rukh Khan, but serves as a reunion with director Siddharth Anand. In the past, Akshay worked with the filmmaker on the web series Flesh (2020) and Fighter (2024). Talking about Siddharth, Akshay shares, “He’s my favourite. Mamta Anand (Siddharth’s wife, producer and co-owner of Marflix Pictures) and Siddharth Anand are like my guardian angels in this business. We had done a show called Flesh together. It stars Swara Bhasker and I, where I was the antagonist. It was one of my favourite roles, this transvestite, flesh trade owner. Khookhaar aadmi tha woh.”
When pointed out how the show was gripping but at times difficult to watch, Akshay says, “Yeah, I don’t blame you at all. My wife refused to share a bed with me for a lot of weeks after watching it. It is very difficult to watch. But it was a very good show. A lot of people never watched it. They (producers) said, ‘We really loved working with you on that. We’ll do something together, we promise.’ But aise log baat karte hain industry mein yaar. No one actually comes through with that kind of thing. And they came back to me with Fighter. It was like a total 360 opposite character. Deshbhakt, masoom, innocent, like a fun loving guy. It was completely different, as in Bashir Khan, Bash. Totally different from what they gave me in Flesh.”
The Challenging Role in ‘Flesh’
“It’s just so awesome that they took me back in King. That’s the most ambitious film being made in Hindi right now. Siddharth Anand is at the top of his game. Shah Rukh Khan sahab has always been at the top of his game. The second Mamta called me, before she opened her mouth, I was like, ‘Where do I have to be?’ I don’t ask them any questions. I don’t want to talk about money, I don’t want to talk about what’s the role. If they call me, lifelong, I will be there,” says Akshay.
King is currently being shot in Cape Town, South Africa. Pictures of Deepika Padukone and SRK shooting a romantic song recently went viral online. Interestingly, King also marks Akshay’s third film with Deepika after Fighter and Piku (2015).
From Antagonist to ‘King’ Patriot
Apart from King, Akshay also has Toxic is his line-up. Also starring Rocking Star Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani and Tara Sutaria, the film is scheduled to arrive in theatres this year.
Oberoi’s journey from the challenging ‘Flesh’ to the ambitious ‘King’ showcases his versatility and strong bond with director Siddharth Anand. His dedication to his craft, even when it affects personal life, is truly remarkable.
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