Akshay Oberoi shares his dream of flying like Tom Cruise

Akshay Oberoi ; (right) Tom Cruise as Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell in Top Gun (1986)

Not everyone gets to fulfil their childhood dreams, but Akshay Oberoi is one of the exceptions. After watching Tom Cruise manoeuvre jets and indulge in dogfights in the air as Pete ‘Maverick' Mitchell in Top Gun (1986), Oberoi hoped to become a fighter pilot when he grew up. "It was thrilling to see Tom Cruise sporting the uniform and flying the fighter jet. When I saw Top Gun: Maverick last year, it brought back all those childhood memories and aspirations," says the actor, who saw his dream come true when Siddharth Anand offered him a role in the Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone-starrer Fighter.

To authentically portray his role as a fighter pilot, Oberoi underwent intense flight training before the shoot. It was an experience of a lifetime to shoot at Air Force bases across the country, including Kashmir, Assam, Hyderabad, and Delhi. "The opportunity to be a part of Fighter helped me tick off that wish of playing an Air Force pilot from my bucket list," shares the actor. Slated to wrap up the action drama by September-end, the team of Fighter hopes to ready the film for release on January 25, 2024.