I’ve been to hell and back: Vivek Oberoi

It’s clearly the season of comeback for Vivek Oberoi who has for many years been clearly sidelined in the industry due to his controversies and fights with various high-profile individuals like Salman Khan (against whom he held a press conference when he was seeing Aishwarya Rai), subsequently the Bachchans, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Aditya Chopra and many others.

“I have wasted five years out of the seven I have spent in the industry. It’s like the seven-year itch for me now. As I turn eight in the profession, I realise that I should only let my work speak and not my mouth. I can feel the hunger to perform under my belly again. I have let my audiences down who have showered their love for me. I was distracted and focus on my love which is acting was off,” Vivek told DNA. He now has three big projects — Kurbaan, Prince and Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakta Charitra in his bag. 

“It’s like I have been to hell and come back. I was so lost and so demoralised. Vivek bashing had become a fashion for everyone. One fine day my mother (Yashodhara) decided to talk to me. She said when most people are against me, the only thing I could do was go out there and prove them wrong. She told me that the family was with me and believes in my abilities,” he says.

“I realised that I had to start from scratch. I had to be humble and not the rebel people were calling me. It’s taken some really hard work to gain ground and reach the position that I’m in today. I feel it’s time for me to show people that Vivek Oberoi has not forgotten how to act as it’s the only thing he can do very well. At other things, everyone knows I suck,” Vivek adds, laughing.

And during these lonely years, who were the people that stood by him? “Akshay Kumar has been a dear friend. Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan have been good mentors. Farah and Sajid Khan have been close and Hrithik Roshan has been very kind. I thank Karan Johar and Ram Gopal Varma for not losing their faith in me and Saif and Kareena with whom I share a great relationship,” he says.

Vivek’s next is Karan Johar productions’ Kurbaan, teaming up with Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor. “For me, Saif and Kareena are the best Bollywood couple.”