During the first narration itself, Akshay Oberoi understood that a grim thriller like Flesh deserved a menacing antagonist. With writer Pooja Ladha Surti having built an intriguing character of a psychopath who heads the human trafficking ring, it was Oberoi's responsibility to breathe life into it. "Though I have played grey characters in the past, this one is dark and terrifying. You can't downplay such a role. There is no limitation to how evil it can be," says Oberoi, whose character Taj is engaged in a battle of wits with Swara Bhasker, who plays a cop in hot pursuit of him.

The actor began working on the project months before director Danish Aslam called for the first shot. Since Taj was far divorced from the parts he has essayed earlier, Oberoi says he adopted a different approach. "I normally work on the character's backstory before moving on to developing the look. Here, I did the opposite. We zeroed in on the hairstyle and the kind of clothes he would wear; I got my ears pierced. Once I had the look figured out, it became easier to internalise the character," he states.