Akshay Oberoi On ‘Toxic’s’ Day 2 Box-Office Collections: “This Is For Audiences And Trade To Process. I Love The Film” (EXCLUSIVE)

When a high-stakes film hits theatres, the immediate aftermath brings a flood of box office tracking, critical breakdown and shifting audience reactions. Day 1 saw massive numbers for the period action drama "Toxic", with the film earning ₹101.10cr but day 2 brought a drop which was ₹37.65cr alongside mixed chatter about whether it lived up to expectations. For Akshay Oberoi, however, reacting to that external commentary is simply not part of his job description.

Asked how he processes that kind of noise once a movie is out in the world, Oberoi remains entirely unfazed. "This is not for me to process, this is for you to process, the trade to process, fans to process," Oberoi says directly. "I love the film, I'm proud of the film, I think we've made a great movie. It's bold, and look at the response, look at those numbers. I'm not part of movies that do those kinds of numbers, man. So, for me, it's incredible. I mean, what a high! It's a whole audience that didn't know who I was, particularly in the South, that knows who I am now. So, thanks to this wonderful gift. I will forever, forever love the film. So, yeah, this is not for me, that's for you guys."

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For the actor, the overall experience of being part of such a giant release far outweighs any day-to-day trade analysis. "I've never had a film that made that much money on day one," Oberoi admits. "It's been so fun to travel all over the country promoting the film, meeting a whole new set of audience that perhaps didn't know me before this film. It's been incredible. I'm just trying to be in the present and be aware of everything and trying to soak in as much as possible just to learn and remember this experience forever."

Talking about Tony

One of the standout elements of Oberoi's role as Tony is his distinct, retro period look. Complete with high-waisted flared trousers, statement jewellery, long locks, and a sharp moustache, his style draws heavily from iconic retro cinema."I have to say it's my favourite look yet," he says. "I love wearing these clothes. I love the pants. I love the jewellery. I thought the long hair looked great. I love the moustache. The clothes itself for an actor do a lot of work. My body language changed once I would put on the clothes and have all these necklaces around my neck."

Sharing the set with a star-studded cast made the experience all the more memorable. Oberoi shares significant screen time with Huma Qureshi, who plays his sibling in the movie. "By default Huma, we spend a lot of time together. So we just end up hanging a lot, talking a lot. I think we made a friend in her. I trust her a lot. And not only as an actor, she's a wonderful actor, but also just as a human being."

Despite the massive stardom attached to names like Yash, Huma Qureshi, Tara Sutaria, and Rukmini Vasanth, Oberoi notes how remarkably grounded everyone remained during the production. "These are huge stars that I'm just casually rattling off, but nobody brought their stardom to set. They brought themselves to set. And they brought their acting to set. That love kind of permeated throughout. Not every film gets that. The cast kind of falling in love with itself." 

Why Yash is boss

Few actors carry the immense weight of expectation that Yash commands, but watching the Kannada superstar manage that scale was a life-changing experience for Oberoi."His hardcore fanbase calls him boss. And I call him boss because it comes from my heart. I really think of him as a boss. He's the best leader I've ever seen," Oberoi reflects. "The way he lifts everyone up and how much he loves cinema. The man is absolutely fearless."

For Oberoi, Yash's career trajectory offers a blueprint for how to take control of one's creative destiny. "In an industry where we're all wondering which director should I message, which producer should I message, he seems to take destiny under his control. He lifted Kannada and his pan-India vision to lift up an entire industry with how much vision and self-belief he has. Watching him made me reflect on myself. I believe in my talent, but do I believe in myself to back myself and take a risk on myself the way he does? The last two years spending time with him, I've been very blessed."