Vivek returns, in a new avatar

SANGEETHA DEVI K / TNN / Nov 30, 2005, 22:44 IST

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Oberoi junior seems to have donned a new avatar. He has reverted to his original name - Viveik Anand Oberoi, and...

Phase I:
Vivek Oberoi was the blueeyed boy of Bollywood and the media when he debuted with Company. Touted to be the next big thing, Vivek was always game to talk nineteen-tothe-dozen about cinema, his friends, and relationships among other things.
Well, after the initial hype followed a series of brickbats �� for being vocal about Aishwarya Rai, for the much talked about calls from Salman Khan, and even for his work for tsunami victims.
Phase II:

Haryana

Jammu & Kashmir

Haryana

Alliance View
i
Party View

Seats: 90

Results

Majority: 46

BJP

CONG

INLD

AAP

OTH

Results: 90/90

BJP WON

Source: PValue

Oberoi junior seems to have donned a new avatar. He has reverted to his original name �� Viveik Anand Oberoi, and more importantly, he chooses his words carefully now.
He treads with caution and insists he will talk only about his work. In a chat with Hyderabad Times, the actor talked about things that are close to his heart...
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Work wise, Oberoi is back in action with a bunch of films, and tells us, "Every person has to define for himself who he is rather than live up to others' perceptions.

I think I've been myself. I wasn't affected by the hype that surrounded me after Company and Saathiya. Life goes on despite success and failure."
The actor reveals that he hasn't taken a single day off in recent times and has been enjoying working round the clock. Up for release is a comedy film, Home Delivery, directed by Sujoy Ghosh. "I became a great fan of Sujoy after seeing Jhankaar Beats.
He is a quiet, well-groomed person, and I couldn't believe he made a film where people sported chaddis and talked crazy. And it's a co-incidence that I'm doing one more comedy, Pyaare Mohan, directed by Indra Kumar." Among his other projects, Viveik will be part of Vishal Bharadwaj's Othello.
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Ask him about being a sutradhar in Deewane Hue Pagal, where he's also turned singer, and he laughs, "I did it because of my friend Feroz Nadiadwala. I can't say no to him. Maybe I should tell him to provide earplugs with tickets so that people can bear my singing."
While Viveik regrets having turned down films like Hum Tum, he doesn't regret his choice of films, even if some of them haven't done well.
"Among my recent films, Kisna was a dud at the box office while Kaal did much better. But I don't believe in making an annual report on how my films have done. I am an actor, not a businessman."
Acting apart, Viveik has been involved with voluntary work, be it for his mother's cancer foundation, aids awareness campaigns, helping tsunami victims or conducting an art exhibition for charity. Detractors dismiss his social work as a publicity stunt, but Viveik maintains that such talks haven't affected him.
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"I don't care what people say about me. Of course, negative reports demoralise volunteers who work with me. After tsunami, we reached out to people where no government officials did and worked in areas where there were no basic facilities. I will continue to do my bit if it can even change one person's life," he says.
He also asserts that he is keen that his private space isn't intruded on. "The media has been leaning towards sensationalism. Sometimes, they build idols only to demolish them later. You learn from experiences and find your way of guarding your privacy."
hyderabadtimes@jeetwin-gaming.com

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