Vivek Oberoi: Daddy of all baddies in 'Krrish 3'!

Every hero wants to play an anti-hero at some point of his career. Sanjay Dutt did Khalnayak. SRK has Baazigaar, Darr and Anjam. Aamir Khan is playing a baddie — after acting for two decades — in Dhoom 3.  Vivek Oberoi is playing the supervillain in Krrish3. He admits that the role challenged, pushed him, and broke all his preconcieved notions about playing the villian. Here he talks about becoming a bura aadmi...

Did you stop to think when you were asked to play Kaal?
The instant I read the script I knew that Kaal would be one of the most challenging roles of my career — and I love challenges. I jumped at it because it motivated me. Kaal has layers and was a challenge to do. I am looking for something like that — deeper and layered with dimensions to it.  I wouldn’t mind playing a dark character again but it has to be of Kaal’s calibre or beyond.
 
What does super villain really mean?
To me it simply means: The daddy of all baddies! I am that in Krrish 3.

Which bad guys do you admire the most?
Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, Denzel Washington to name a few.

The last time an Indian actor played a super villain was when Arjun Rampal had a title role in Ra.One but he was barely there in the film. Do you think that the villian sometimes gets sidelined because the hero is all important in a Hindi film?
No. We learn from epics like the Ramayana — the greater the villain, the greater the hero who defeats him in the end! I think that’s why Kaal has been designed in this manner — to challenge Krrish like never before! I have played Kaal’s character with calm, and underplayed it. It’s not over the top.

Post Shootout At Lokhandwala I had a lot of offers to play negative roles but I find most villains boring and unidimensional, they lack depth. I took up Kaal because he is different. He is unforgiving and burning with cold vengeance. Kaal is the Prince of Darkness. He believes that humanity is to blame for what happened to him and he is out to seek revenge!

Darkest thing you’ve done on screen?
Kaal by far has to be the beacon of darkness for me. He’s fifty shades of black! Some scenes needed me to psyche myself into a state of mind where I would stare into a mirror, waiting for the flicker of evil to come alive in my eyes. I am a positive and happy guy in real life so to switch to a state of vengeance and anger was terribly tough! While shooting, I would isolate myself, switch off the lights in my van, be an inch away from the mirror and keep looking into my eyes, waiting for that flicker of evil. The moment it came I would go on the sets and perform. Only after the shot was okayed would I take a breath. It would take me hours to unwind. Being bad, saps you of your energy. I’d feel emotionally drained when I came home.

Any particularly disturbing moment?
My wife (Priyanka) was expecting when we were shooting. In the film Priyanka (Chopra) is expecting too and in a scene I had to behave very badly with her. That scene almost killed me! I am an emotional person and to be so cruel to a pregnant woman - even the thought is abhorrent to me! I told my wife about it and she said it’s just a character but that scene almost broke me... When I signed the film we were not expecting...  when you know we are having a baby the mindset changes...

What is attractive about villians?
They appeal to the raw and basic instinct within us! There is something seductive about Kaal - it’s an invitation into darkness.

Name one Hindi film where the villian is remembered more than the hero.
Gabbar Singh was legendary, in fact strangely, if you remember he sold Parle G biscuits for kids and Mogambo khush hua was the most popular dialogue for kids.

On actor apart from you, who could have done this role?
I’m too possessive about Kaal to think objectively but both Hrithik and Aamir have the deep intensity to carry it off I think.

Your fav villainous dialogue?
Ever danced with the devil on a full moon night — Jack Nicholson as the Joker.

On a scale of one to 10 how evil is Kaal?
For Kaal the scale begins at 10!

Do you think villains have more fun on screen and why?
I think villains have more fun on screen because being good can get boring...it’s more exciting and unpredictable being bad. Right now I’m just ‘Chillin like a Villain’!