Akshay Oberoi: 2-3 kilos of salt went into my nose, hair and mouth while shooting the climax of 'Gaslight'

Akshay Oberoi

Akshay Oberoi who is part of the ensamble cast of 'Gaslight' that also features Sara Ali Khan, Vikrant Massey and Chitrangda Singh, plays the royal Rana in the film. The actor opened up about what the audience can expect, his co-stars, his line up for 2023 and much more!

How did Rana come to life?

It's important that I address Pavan (Kripalani) when speaking about Rana. He is a very special director, he knows exactly what he is looking for and yet he is constantly discovering new things. Rana is a Nawabi guy with royal blood that is trying to hold on to his past. There were great stories about his ancestors but today a prince is not what he is supposed to be in modern India. Rana holds on to that insecurity and is trying to maintain a facade of greatness. The challenge playing Rana was maintaining a mystery around him so that the audience is constantly left guessing who he really is! Pavan would say 'I've got the take I wanted, now surprise me.' He always kept me on my toes which is why the character shaped up well.

You have worked with Vikrant before what was the rapport with Sara and Chitrangda like?

Yes I've worked with Vikrant before. Sara is as lively as you see her on her Instagram page, it's fun because she keeps the day light constantly talking or sharing her opinion on things. Chitrangda was someone I loved working with, she pushed me to be better, our tuning matched well and we had great chemistry.

What would you say was your most challenging scene?

You see a few glimpses of the climax in the film's trailer, we shot that in the salt mines of Rajkot, Gujarat. It was challenging because night shoots are hard to begin with. It was an action sequence we were shooting in mountains of slat, I had to slip and fall so 2-3 kilos of salt went into my nose, hair and mouth. However, I kept thinking how beautiful it would look cinematically. It had a Hitchcockian vibe, the great thing about him was the locations he chose.

What is your line up for 2023?

I'm shooting 'Fighter' a film about air force pilots by Siddharth Anand that has been in the news. There's the sequel to 'Lal Rang' a film I had done with Randeep Hooda, I'm also doing a web show. There are three films that I shot last year that are up for release.

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