Article Updated 28 May, 2007 09:32:28 PM IST   Interview: Vivek Oberoi By Our Correspondent ©2007 Bollyvista.com   It has been a roller-coaster ride for Vivek Oberoi so far. Though some of his films were well-made, and he had delivered his part efficiently, mainstream success seemed to evade him. After OMKARA, things have been different for Vivek and now he is being increasingly sought after by some of the biggest banners. But the reserved actor is in no tearing hurry. Having undergone personal and professional trauma, he is bent on structuring his future meticulously. On the eve of the release of the much talked-about SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA produced by Sanjay Gupta, in which he is pitted against veteran stalwarts Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty Vivek Oberoi opens up to BOLLYVISTA in an informal conversation. Here we go for a shootout with Vivek… Well, all eyes are now on SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA... There's reason to be excited since this is a role that any actor would give his right arm for. It is a one-man army against a whole gamut of celebrities. I play the negative lead opposite such formidable actors as Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Arbaaz Khan et al. On my side there are somewhat nondescript actors like Tusshar Kapoor (who is also playing a negative role for the first time), Shabbir Ahluwalia, and Rohit Roy. Was it tough playing Maya Dolas? The character has different shades and it is only a fictional account of the real-life character Maya Dolas. Sanjay Gupta, who is also one of the writers of the film, and director Apoorva Lakhia have given several interesting twists to the role. In that sense, it is part fiction and part realistic. It is indeed a complex character and it has been a challenge to perform the role. Did you undertake any research while portraying the character of Maya Dolas? No. I have contributed in my own way, keeping in mind the real life character. That's also the case with Sanjay Dutt, who portrays a similar character that of Aftab Ahmed Khan, who was the then Anti-Terrorist Squad chief. Was there any kind of interference from producer Sanjay Gupta during the filming since this is one of his pet projects? In fact, he never visited the sets during the filming and he left it to director Apoorva Lakhia to give his own flavour to the subject. Only during the song picturisations, would Sanjay Gupta visit the sets, since he is adept at and very particular about the song-dance sequences. There's been a spurt in gangster movies of late. In what way do you think SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA is different from the other films of similar theme? This is an entirely different tale. Without glorifying the criminals, it is majorly their story. Sanjay Gupta has sourced various facts from First Information Reports of the police, reports of Human Rights Commission, media reports etc. This is as far as what happened outside the Swati apartment at Lokhandwala, where the criminals were holed up. But what happened inside and how the five criminals vacillated between life and death, nobody knows. This is where fiction comes into play and it is Sanjay Gupta's sharp story-telling skill that takes the audience's goat. There have been last-minute controversies centering around Maya Dolas' mother, who has filed a writ plea in the court... Sanjay Gupta's legal department will take care of that issue. I have nothing to comment on the matter. In a way, the characterisation is akin to that of Sholay, where there are just two principal characters of the Thakur and Gabbar Singh. Here too, there are two major characters - Sanjay Dutt who plays A.A. Khan and myself, who is Maya Dolas, the dreaded criminal. How would you describe SHOOTOUT AT LOKHANDWALA from your point of view? I would say it is a shocking, hypnotic look at a real-life disaster, the infamous Lokhandwala shootout of 1991. The shootout explores the personal obsessions and sacrifices of the two principal protagonists, Additional Commissioner and ATS chief A.A. Khan and Maya and the lives of people connected with them, with absorbing insight. The film promises some of the most riveting action sequences to be ever filmed. Considering the hype that SAL is carrying with it, and the critical appreciation that your last film OMKARA received, you must be flooded with numerous offers. Are you inclined to bite the bait? Not at all. I am in no hurry to exploit the situation. Money is not everything for me. There are offers from corporate biggies too, but I have preferred to be choosey. Now is the time for me to be very careful while agreeing to do any film. The role has to be meaty. What's next on the cards? There's FOOL N FINAL, which is quite contrary to the action films that I have been doing.   close   Print this Article http://www.bollyvista.com   http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/34/7672