Biography

'Everybody has an attitude'
Vivek Oberoi on matters films and his sudden burst to stardom

Holding your own against stalwarts of the industry in your very first film is something very few artistes can claim.

That is why, when someone does, it is cause for much hype and praise.

For his first film, Ram Gopal Varma's "Company", Vivek Oberoi won the "best debut actor award" and also won "best supporting actor". He was pitted against Bollywood stalwart Ajay Devgan and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.

When you consider that he is the son of character actor Suresh Oberoi and claims to have no vices, save one, it clicks into place.

His only vice? Films. He claims they are his passion, his addiction. So much so that he has to watch a film every day to unwind. "In fact, sometimes, my fiancee [Gurpreet Brar] gets fed up with it! She has to really plead to divert my mind from movies," he chuckles.

Before he started acting, Vivek wrote scripts and dubbed for films. "I had written a script for Vidhu Vinod Chopra. I was paid a decent amount for it. I bought my first car with that money."

The hype that this debutant had generated no newcomer had done so before the release of their first film. Vivek Oberoi was the most talked about lad in town. The media went berserk describing his straight hair, sparkling eyes, sexy body and what not. What's more he chose to make an unusual debut. Ramgopal Varma's Company was not the typical Hindi film. And Vivek was not playing this sweet chocolatey hero, he was Chandu the dreaded underworld don. The film focussed on international organised crime giving the heroes Ajay Devgan and Vivek Oberoi enough platform to prove their histrionics as actors. Considering that Company was his first film, Oberoi was too good to be true. He stood his ground opposite stalwarts like Ajay Devgan and Manisha Koirala (though she hardly had anything to do in the film).

As usual filmmakers made a beeline for him. Every Vashu, Ramu and Dhanoa wanted to sign him for their ventures. But Vivek Oberoi had adopted this Aamir Khan strategy to where he would do just a few films at a time. There were stories about how he was 2 crore hero. Oberoi of course denied that he charged that kind of amount to do a film. "I charge what I deserve. I'm cheap, " he laughed. He was last seen in Road. Of course it was yet again a Ramgopal Varma film. But he was not the exactly the protagonist. The film belonged to Manoj Bajpai. But Oberoi held the reins especially in the first half. Even the some of the songs he looked his sexiest best.

Son of veteran actor Suresh Oberoi, Vivek recently got engaged to long time girlfriend is Gurpreet. A small celebration was held at Mumbai's Rain. Friends Bobby Deol, Rani Mukherjee, Shahrukh Khan and many other stars made it a point to congratulate the boy in love.

Vivek Oberoi will be seen in Samir Karnik Kyon Ho Gaya Na with Aishwarya Rai. Plus there are quite a few films that he has on hand to keep him busy till next year.