Article Updated 26 July, 2003 05:33:06 PM IST   Vivek Oberoi By Judi Silva ©2003 Bollyvista.com   Vivek Oberoi, a name we're hearing more and more of these days. For a young man of twenty-seven, he's made this name for himself in less than a year and already four films to his credit. How can one man accomplish so much in so little time? One reason is that Vivek joined the film industry in a way which was different from most. First, he didn't take the easy route and have his father, actor Suresh Oberoi get him a place in the spotlight. Nor did he take the safe route and play the sweet, young lover in his debut film. Instead he was a scriptwriter, when he still lived in India. Then, when film maker Ram Gopal Varma offered him a role in Company (2002) and then denied him, he did something very unconventional. To prove that he could start his career as a "bad boy", he went to the not so nice areas of Mumbai and studied every aspect of life there to learn how to be a gangster. Then, he wrote a 300-word biographical sketch for his character Chandu. "I tried to figure out the way he would talk, the kind of clothes he would wear, how he would interact with people around him." Sure enough, several weeks later Vivek stormed into Mr. Varma's office dressed like the gangster character he was originally offered, and landed the contract right there and then. After such a superb performance he was offered the part of Arvind in Road (2002), Uday in Dum (2003), and his best performance yet as Aditya in Saathiya (2003). From the above, we see he has begun to realize his childhood dream of acting. How though, is he able to play so many different roles, and how do they affect him as a person? He relates, "When we play a character, a part of us gets immersed in the character. And that character leaves a mark on our soul." Yet with this new found success, how does Vivek think he is doing? On a scale from one to ten he says "I would rate myself somewhere between a 1 and a 2. I have a long, long way to go." What about the personal life of this independent, self-assured young man for whom many young girls are going crazy? Vivek says that he is a simple person, who enjoys life and what he has. He cherishes his family very much, and credits them with giving him the values and morals which he lives by today. He is very affectionate, but also loves to play pranks on people. If he has an opinion about something, he will speak his mind on that subject. Vivek has shown himself to be a hard-worker and someone who is passionate about the work he does every day. He also continues to write poetry and scripts. There's no steady girlfriend at the moment. Although Vivek's female fans might just have to get in line behind Aishwarya, if things continue to progress between them. Where will this extreme ambitiousness take him? Well, we are looking forward to seeing his performances in Darna Mana Hai (which released this Friday), Perfect, The Invaders, and Kyon Ho Gaya Na. Unfortunately at the present time he is in Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital suffering from injuries sustained during an accident on the set of Mani Ratnam's untitled film. His father did make a statement saying "Vivek's health was unstable and he was breathing with the help of a respirator." I'm sure every one of Vivek's fans have him in their thoughts and prayers, awaiting a full and speedy recovery.   close   Print this Article http://www.bollyvista.com   http://www.bollyvista.com/article/a/36/749