He had a dream debut in Bollywood. Vivek Oberoi not only won every best debut award but also several best supporting actor awards for his first film Company. This was followed by critical acclaim in films such as Road, Saathiya, Masti and Yuva. But in the last six years there have been several ups and downs in his career and personal life.
His romance and break-up with Aishwarya Rai and confrontation and subsequent efforts to make up with Salman Khan have made more news than his films. But the actor has made a determined comeback with excellent performances in films such as Omkara and Shootout at Lokhandvala.
Friends
Few know that the actor who did his Master's in film making from New York University loves dancing and represented his college at dance competitions. Vivek's fellow dancers included Bollywood choreographers Bosco and Caesar and the three are still good friends. Vivek will be in Dubai as a special guest at the 100 day celebrations of the Bosco Caesar Dance Company to be held tomorrow at The Modern High School, Dubai.
In a telephonic interview he spoke to us about his journey as an actor and his ambitions for the future.
How important is dancing ability for a Bollywood actor?
Our cinema is song and dance oriented and being a good dancer is definitely an asset. I have been dancing since my college days and have learnt a lot from my friends Bosco and Caesar. Later I trained with Farah Khan and also assisted her. Dancing gives you a sense of rhythm, which also helps you as an actor. It is also a great stress buster and mood elevator.
Which dance number have you most enjoyed doing in your career so far?
Recently I shot a music video for a soft drink with Bosco and Caesar. It was shot on a huge scale with helicopters, trucks, cars, bikes and lots of great moves. I have not danced like that in a long time and really enjoyed it.
How did you handle the highs and lows you have experienced?
The kind of success you have in this industry and the flops can shake you as a person. You have to be level headed and have good friends and family around you who keep you grounded. You should believe in yourself rather than the success or failure of each film that you are just a part of. The important thing is to be objective and professional and maintain your equilibrium.
You won the Stardust Superstar of tomorrow award on debut. What is your ambition for yourself as an actor?
I will not deny that I enjoy the fame and adulation that comes with being a star and would love to be a superstar. But as an actor my focus is to keep growing by challenging myself with diverse roles, learning from setbacks and evolving continuously.
You seem to be attracted to bad boy roles?
I find characters like Maya Dolas interesting and challenging to play and my young female fans seem to find my bad boy persona sexy and attractive. But their mothers have been complaining. My next film Mission Istanbul is an action drama, but after that I will shift gears to do two soft romantic films.
Looking back on your career would you have done anything differently? Do you have any regrets?
I am happy with who I am today. If I had done things differently I would not be what I am today. There is no point in having regrets because every experience I went through has taught me something and made me stronger.
Hear from Vivek
Dream woman: "At this point I am focussed on my career and not looking for any dream woman. But I am an eternal romantic and believe that some day it will just happen. Rather than having any preconceived notions about my ideal woman I would like to just meet someone and discover that person."
Role model: "My father Suresh Oberoi. He is a brilliant actor and a wonderful human being and I take his advice on my career and every aspect of my life."
On working with Abhishek Bachchan in Mission Istanbul: "We have not shot any scenes together yet, but I am looking forward to working with him soon."
Vivek Oberoi has been involved in various social work projects including rehabilitation of tsunami victims and the Angels for Angels group that arranges free heart surgeries for needy children. But the actor refused to talk about it.
"I have been blessed to be able to help those in need. But earlier when I spoke about it I was accused of doing it for publicity. That hurt and now I have decided not to talk about my social work," said Vivek.
