Drop in career did not affect me, says Vivek Oberoi

By Durga Chakravarty

New Delhi, Nov 24 (IANS) Vivek Oberoi ventured into Hindi filmdom with "Company" and featured in films like "Saathiya", "Omkara" and "Yuva", followed by a dull period in his career with movies like "Kyun...! Ho Gaya Na" and " Kisna". The actor says it did not bog him down as he treated the moment as part of a roller-coaster ride.

Asked if the sudden drop in his career graph affected him, Vivek told IANS in a recorded response: "No. I think in everything in life, there are ups and downs and if you decide to have fun, then it is nothing but a roller-coaster ride."

Vivek, who made his debut in 2002 with "Company", is the son of actor Suresh Oberoi. He says that even though there are some perks in coming from a film background, at the end of the day talent is what matters in showbiz.

What about the constant clamour around the celebrity kids to match up to their parents to prove their talent?

"There are a lot of us who decided to carve our own way and create our own niche.... So, it just depends on what your approach is. There are perks of being a star kid... Being integrated into the industry is a lot easier, but there's also the perils of it, which is that the expectations from you are very high. So, you have to match up to the expectations," Vivek added.

The actor stressed that comparisons will always be there for a star kid.

"So, it is a very large mountain to climb every single time. But I think at the end of it all, what truly matters is talent," said Vivek.

The 41-year-old actor says if there is talent, "nobody cares whose son or daughter you are".

"They (the audiences) accept and love you for your talent. The same opportunity can be given to someone who is not a star kid... I think at the end of the day, there is no formula. There are so many star kids who failed because people didn't think they had the talent to give them the love or adulation they gave to their parents," he added.

Asked if there are perils of being a star, Vivek said: "I think there are two extreme ends -- there is the love, the adulation and the respect that you receive and then there is the other extreme of the same coin people will troll you, hound you for personal choices, and there is a certain loss of privacy.

"There are certain extremes. There are the perils, but there are the perks. The perks and perils come together."

Vivek was last seen on-screen in "Bank Chor", featuring with Riteish Deshmukh and Rhea Chakraborty. It is the story of three men who choose the worst day possible to rob a bank.

"Bank Chor" will have its TV premiere on Sony MAX on Friday.

(Durga Chakravarty can be contacted at durga.c@ians.in)