Akshay Oberoi is a name that has steadily carved its space in cinema over the past 15 years, and 2025-26 is shaping up to be a significant phase in his journey. With two much-anticipated films—Geetu Mohandas’ “Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grownups” alongside Kannada superstar Yash, and Shashank Khaitan’s “Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari” with Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor—Oberoi is hoping to connect with audiences on a larger scale.
For Oberoi, working with Yash in Toxic was nothing short of overwhelming. “I was quite starstruck at first,” he admits with refreshing honesty. “Yash may be a superstar, but he remains disarmingly soft-spoken and humble. The madness that erupts when he walks into a room never changes the fact that he carries no airs. His journey—from being the son of a bus conductor in Mysore to becoming a national phenomenon—is nothing short of inspiring. Like millions, I was drawn to KGF, and acting opposite him was a surreal experience. His larger-than-life vision has encouraged me to dream bigger for my own career.”
Directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Geetu Mohandas, whose repertoire includes Liar’s Dice and Moothon, Toxic promises to be a striking cinematic experience when it releases on March 19, 2026.
Before that, audiences will see him in Khaitan’s lively entertainer Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, slated for October 2, 2025. The actor is optimistic about the reach of both projects. “Actors live on dreams. Each film comes with the hope that it connects with people. In this line of work, so much is unpredictable, but what we can control is how sincerely we approach our craft. And with these two films, I have a very good feeling”.
But while Oberoi looks ahead, he also carries a deep sense of reverence for the icons who shaped his love for cinema. At a recent retrospective on Guru Dutt, he spoke with emotion about the legendary filmmaker-actor’s influence on him. “I grew up watching Guru Dutt’s films—my father showed them to me when I was about eight. Reading his biography recently was an emotional experience. Movies like Pyaasa, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Kaagaz Ke Phool, Aar Paar, and Mr. & Mrs. 55 aren’t just films, they’re treasures the younger generation really needs to explore.”
For Akshay Oberoi, cinema is both a dream and a responsibility. Grounded in humility yet driven by ambition, he stands at an exciting juncture—balancing the star power of his co-actors with his own hunger to reach the masses. If his optimism is anything to go by, Toxic and Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari may well mark a turning point in his career, cementing his place in the mainstream while keeping the spirit of the classics alive.
