Long before Vivek Oberoi became a household name with Ram Gopal Varma’s underworld drama Company (2002), his journey to the big screen was filled with struggle, rejections and relentless hard work – and not just for him, but for his father too.
Veteran actor Suresh Oberoi, who has been a part of the industry for decades, recently opened up about the difficult phase when he was trying to establish his son in Bollywood. In a candid conversation on Nidhi Vasandani’s YouTube channel, Suresh revealed that he had to start from scratch all over again, this time not for himself but for Vivek.
“I had to struggle for him again, I went door to door. Like I used to take my pictures earlier, now I was taking Vivek’s pictures,” Suresh shared emotionally.
He recalled that during that period, he was working with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma. RGV was then casting for his ambitious gangster film Company, and was on the lookout for a fresh face to play the pivotal role of Chandrakant ‘Chandu’ Nagre.
Suresh saw an opportunity and mentioned his son. RGV, known for his unconventional casting, asked to see Vivek performing on tape. Suresh remembered that Vivek had a performance tape from his acting institute in New York.
“Vivek had a tape from his acting school. RGV came home to watch that tape,” Suresh said. The moment RGV saw the tape, he was impressed. That tape eventually changed everything for Vivek and marked his powerful debut opposite Ajay Devgn.
The proud father also revealed that while Vivek has done many notable films over the years, his personal favourite remains Saathiya (2002) with Rani Mukerji. However, it was Company that first left him teary-eyed. “My eyes welled up with tears after watching his work in Company,” Suresh said.
Vivek’s Version Is Slightly Different
Interestingly, Vivek Oberoi himself has narrated a slightly different version of how he bagged his debut. In an earlier interview with India Today, the actor insisted that he did not want to use his father’s surname or influence to get work.
According to Vivek, he went by the name Vivek Anand during his struggling days to ensure he was judged purely on merit. He claimed he stood in long audition queues for hours and faced countless rejections.
“I went everywhere as Vivek Anand. I went to offices, waited for 6 to 10 hours in audition queues. After I said no to shooting my dad’s production, it took me almost two years, struggling every single day and facing so many rejections, before I got Company. And I was just proud that I made it on my own merit and talent,” the Masti and Yuva actor had said.[production]
Despite the two slightly contrasting accounts, both father and son agree on one thing – Vivek’s debut was earned through hard work, persistence and talent, not served on a platter.
From standing in audition lines as Vivek Anand to becoming a Filmfare-winning debutant with Company and Saathiya in the same year, Vivek’s early journey remains one of the more inspiring insider-turned-outsider stories in Bollywood.
