Akshay Oberoi Reveals What Draws Him to Negative and Morally Grey Roles, from Playing the Antagonist in Toxic to the Shaded Character in Gajab Raat

From Gurgaon and Thar to #ToxicandGajabRaat, the versatile actor continues his journey into the darker, more intricate aspects of human nature.

Akshay Oberoi has a particular fascination with characters who exist in shades of grey. Rather than sticking to conventional hero roles, the actor has consistently explored morally complex personalities across projects such as Gurgaon, Flesh, Thar and Tony. With Gajab Raat, he returns to a space that offers him the opportunity to push creative boundaries and explore the many layers of human behaviour.

For Akshay, negative and morally ambiguous characters offer a unique creative freedom. Often driven by conflicting emotions, unconventional motivations and unpredictable choices, such roles allow an actor to move beyond familiar character tropes and explore personalities that are not easily defined as good or bad. It is this complexity that makes portraying such characters particularly exciting for him.

Speaking about his interest in playing characters with darker shades, Akshay Oberoi says, “What fascinates me about morally grey characters is that they rarely see themselves as the villain of their own story. Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do, and exploring that mindset as an actor is incredibly interesting. These roles give me the freedom to experiment with different emotions, contradictions and unexpected traits that may not always be possible with a conventional protagonist. I enjoy playing characters who challenge me as a performer and allow me to discover something new with every project.”

From the unsettling world of Gurgaon to the gritty narratives of Flesh and Thar, and his work in Tony, Akshay’s choices reflect his willingness to embrace roles that challenge conventional notions of morality. With Gajab Raat, he continues to explore this fascination, reinforcing his interest in characters that are unpredictable, layered and deeply human.

By Keerti Kadam