Having seen many highs and lows in his career, Vivek Oberoi believes recent release Inside Edge has turned the tide for him
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; December 8, 2019)

Vivek Oberoi decided to foray into digital entertainment with Amazon Prime's Inside Edge, well before the country witnessed the OTT boom. As the second season dropped over the weekend, the actor wears a look of content, secure in the knowledge that the gamble has paid him rich rewards. "People felt I had lost the plot. They weren't aware [of the potential of] OTT content and wondered why I was doing a serial. Also, with the show, we were swimming against the tide as everyone in this country loves cricket and we were showing the murky side of the game. So it was a tough call," says Oberoi, who plays mastermind Vikrant Dhawan who runs a successful cricket league, in the show.

In a 17-year-long run in the industry, the actor has seen it all—from overnight success to abject failure. The success of the Karan Anshuman-created show, he says, has once again turned the tide. "People had written me off often, but when the audience loves me in Inside Edge, it gives me a sense of validation and vindication. It has allowed me to pick and choose from the offers [coming my way]. It hasn't been an easy journey as I have had to start all over again, several times, but I have never given up."

On the big screen, Oberoi was last seen in PM Narendra Modi, a biopic that received attention and flak in equal measure for its subject. A self-admitted Modi bhakt, the actor is proud of the film. Ask him if a sequel is on the cards, and he says, "It was an incredible journey to play this amazing persona. The audience's feedback has been positive. Any actor would give their right arm to play the character. We have not even scratched the surface. The legacy of Narendra Modi by the end of his term is going to be unparalleled, so never say never."

The actor says that playing grey characters has helped him explore a cool side to himself adding some fun to his otherwise dull life
Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 4, 2019)

Vivek Oberoi marked his foray into the digital space two years ago. Though he shot to fame as a romantic hero in Saathiya (2002), he went on to give some memorable performances as an antagonist in films such as Company (2002), Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007) and Krrish 3 (2013), and he decided to explore it further with his web show. “I’m damn boring in real life. When I play grey and dark characters, I get to be someone interesting for a change. I get to go out and do all the cool and mad stuff. When I was narrated the script of the first season of my web show Inside Edge, Ritesh (Sidhwani; producer) thought that I would have some hesitation because my character’s quite dark. My only concern was, it wasn’t black enough (laughs),” he says.

He says that in the second season of the web show, his character will be taken a notch higher. The actor explains, “He plays up even when he’s speaking to someone. He makes use of a lot of unnatural pauses, makes people feel uncomfortable and imposes his power on them. He’s like a master puppeteer.”

Vivek says that the web has empowered him to push the envelope for himself. “Despite a lot of trepidation and people being apprehensive about working in digital medium, we’re now able to break out of boxes and do roles that would otherwise be impossible to do on a traditional platform. I’ve done television and cinema across seven languages, but I’ve never been in a situation where I could do all the stuff that my web show has empowered me to do,” he elaborates.

Ask him about his journey in the world of showbiz and he quips, “I’m so busy looking forward that I’ve no time to look back. I imagine that I would reflect back on my career and life when I’m sitting on a rocking chair — all grey and done. I’m currently exuberant with all the stuff that’s going on.”

Hinting at his upcoming projects, he shares, “My production house has taken off and I’ll be producing a project on the Balakot air strike. It’ll have a multi-platform release and will be a multilingual project. It’s a massive undertaking and it’s supremely exciting for me. A collaboration with an OTT giant is also on the tender hooks.”

Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; May 23, 2019)

Vivek Anand Oberoi is finding himself embroiled in controversies one after the other. While the delay in his film’s release wasn’t enough, he retweeted a meme (on the personal life of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan), sparking outrage on Twitter. He eventually deleted the tweet on Tuesday morning and apologised. Meanwhile, we got in touch with Vivek, who has been travelling across cities to promote his film on PM Narendra Modi, which will finally release tomorrow. The actor briefly spoke to us over the phone before taking off to Ahmedabad. We were told not to ask any question on the tweet controversy beforehand as he had deleted it.

About his film finally releasing a day after the election result, Vivek said, “I am really excited. The election results will be out 23rd. PM Narendra Modi will win with a thumping majority, so the film’s release on 24th will be a celebration of a kind. It’s an inspirational film.”

The movie’s release was pushed at the last minute on several occasions as it was looked upon as a propaganda film. Vivek said, “We went through that ordeal for over 40 days. It was disappointing that our right to release the film was clipped. Ours is not a propaganda film. There was definitely propaganda against our film. Instead of focussing on issues of national importance, our humble little film was attacked. The film is an emotional narrative and is aspirational,” said Vivek.

While speculation is rife that the actor is likely to get into politics at some point, he denied the same. Vivek explained, “I was first offered a ticket in 2004. From 2004 to 2019, I have been offered tickets by regional and national parties. I have said no every time. I jokingly say, 'Why be an MP when you can be a PM on screen?' About whether he will join the BJP in the near future, he added, “No I am not a member of any political party and I am going to keep it that way. I don’t want to be a politician just for the tag.” 

Allowed to promote Modi biopic after the polls, leading man Vivek Oberoi indicates Election Commission ‘clamped down on free speech’ by stalling the film’s release last month
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 21, 2019)

Excited to begin promotions for PM Narendra Modi anew, Vivek Oberoi opens the conversation with, “On May 23 Modi ji comes back [as the Prime Minister] and the next day, Modi ji is back in theatres.”

One would assume he is pleased with the timing of the release of the biopic. However, Oberoi — whose film’s release during the seven-phase polling in India was stalled by the Election Commission (EC) as it violated the Model Code of Conduct — says the past few weeks have been testing. “It was a major setback. The film was releasing in 40 countries. Distributors in America and UK were confused.”

He minces no words as he says that he saw little sense in the EC’s decision. “It was stemming from fear. There are commercials on Congress as well. By that logic, editorial columns should stop. The Election Commission should have put a blanket ban on news material because that can influence voters, too. Clamping down on free speech [marks a] downward slope for a healthy democracy,” philosophises Oberoi, the irony seemingly lost on him.

Ever since the trailer dropped online, many have criticized the film for being a propaganda movie. “I have been accused of making Modi into a hero. The very fact that we are making a movie on him is because he is already a hero.”

Quiz him if the Omung Kumar-directed film conveniently leaves out the grey areas of the leader’s career, and pat comes his reply, “Unlike documentaries that are factual, biopics are emotional. We stuck to the emotional weave of the narrative.”

To make a stronger case for himself, Oberoi cites Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982). “Even that was panned because reviewers thought it was deifying Gandhi.”

A recent article on Modi in an international magazine drew the ire of his supporters. Ask Oberoi for his take, and he calmly replies, “Time magazine’s cover is someone’s perspective on the country and its political system. This film will be received the same way — some will love it, others will hate it. The essence of democracy is to have an opinion. People will review it for ideological reasons rather than for the film it is.”

Vivek Anand Oberoi in a no-holds-barred conversation about the roadblocks that his film on the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has faced and the way ahead
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 20, 2019)

On Wednesday (April 17), the Election Commission of India (EC) watched the biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as per the directive from the Supreme Court. Though Vivek Anand Oberoi, who plays the central character in PM Narendra Modi, isn’t divulging the response of the Election Commission (EC) after the film was screened for its officials, he stated that he is happy with their answer. The actor spoke to Bombay Times about the various roadblocks that this upcoming project has faced and what lies ahead for him. Meanwhile, a hearing based on the report submitted by the EC is due in the Supreme Court on April 22.

Though your film was cleared by the Supreme Court and the CBFC, the ECI stalled it less than 24 hours before its release. All the promotional material, too, has been pulled off the web. Did you anticipate that you would have to fight so many battles?
No one did! But at least now we are absolved of the allegation that this is a propaganda film funded by the BJP. Yes, it was saddening to see our promotional material vanish from the web-space. It’s painful because it’s our effort, our time and our money out there. But if something is the law, rule or principle, it should apply to everyone. It angers and upsets me that we are being singled out. A web-series on the same subject continues to air. A controversial political drama like The Tashkent Files released and nobody raised an eyebrow. Shashi Tharoor, who is contesting in the Lok Sabha polls, has brought out a book called The Paradoxical Prime Minister, and no one has questioned its sale. If all of this is not influence, then what is? Why is my film being singled out? I want to know who will bear the financial responsibility of this project, and the collaterals of stalling its release hours before it hits theatres. The team was disappointed, but not disheartened. We decided to fight tooth and nail and I believe that justice will happen.

Could you relay what happened on April 10?
None of us anticipated the EC’s move because they were a party in the High Court cases against our film. Their representative had given an oral submission that they have no objection to the film as long as the CBFC clears it. The EC even sent a notice to the CBFC with guidelines of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) that must be taken into consideration while certifying it. They approached it with dual guidelines, and asked for more than 10 cuts. We didn’t contest any of those because we wanted to release the film on time. Despite knowing our situation very well, knowing what their oral submissions have been and that we are not in violation of the MCC, the EC decided to stop our film. Only our film. Our distribution, exhibition and promotional amplification went for a toss. We are still figuring why and how it happened. Arbitrarily, the EC, suo moto took the initiative to stall the release of our movie.

Why do you think your film lacks support from the industry? Is it because of your brazenness?
I don’t think so! This always happens. An iconic filmmaker like Sanjay Leela Bhansali gets slapped on his set and no one says a word. The industry should have shut down in protest. We all should have said that if this country can’t protect its creative workforce and its freedom to express, then what is the point of bestowing awards? Kisi ko panga nahi lena hai. No matter which government comes to power, it’s essential that irrespective of our political views, we are protected against violations.

Lately, we have seen the industry becoming more vocal about their political opinions than ever before, but standing up for another film which could have political repercussions is probably another matter...
These are dark days for the industry. I am not the first victim and I won’t be the last. If I don’t fight and just meekly walk away, it will become a precedent and our judiciary works on precedents. If I don’t fight, it will give overarching powers to bodies like the EC, while the MCC will become the greatest tool in the hands of any fringe group, community or a party. Tragically, this industry wakes up and unites when it’s too late. They don’t stand up for their own people. I know I will get through all of this. We are a strong team. But there will be more victims in the future and it’s a shame and a travesty that industry seniors and power figures are quiet. Where are the intolerance, award wapsi, fundamental rights, free speech, selfie, pro-Modi and anti-Modi brigades? There is no unity here; there are hundreds of factions within the industry. If we were united, the changes we’re making or trying to make today would have happened 25 years ago. When it comes to campaigning for a political party, we have faces, but not for supporting another colleague within the industry. I am a small fry, who promises to stand up for anyone who is wronged like me, probably because no one has stood up for me. Today, I am not asking anyone to help me, but people should remember that we could have banded together and set a precedent for our industry’s future.

You’re openly speaking about lack of support and unity. Won’t that isolate you further?
I’d rather belong to the truth than to a group. I don’t believe in wearing a mask to blend in. I can’t be a chamcha, a sycophant or a groupie. I am proud of the decisions I take, I speak with a lot of thought. Reaching out to people is not a sign of weakness. It’s being brave. I am holding a mirror to the industry and this episode is not the first and last episode of its kind. If I help someone tomorrow, it’s my payback to this industry. We forget that this is all transient. We need to remind ourselves that we are here because of this industry and not the other way round.

Being brutally blunt isn’t easy and you have taken on industry biggies in the past, too, which has cost you dearly. Don’t you fear ruining your chances again?
No! Didn’t this film come to me? Didn’t we make it in record time? I am more focused on what we have at hand. I’d rather be my own truth than being someone else’s lie to fit into a space. The years when powerful people hampered my career and tried to crush it could have made me a bitter person. I could have taken off on an ego trip, but I chose to do the exact opposite. I found peaceful ways to deal with my problems. That is my way of moving forward. Till date, with whatever strength I have, there has been an effort on my part to support new talent without making a noise about it, something that no one ever did for me. I am grateful to those newcomers who didn’t go out and talk about the calls I made for them. That is how I like it to be.

Coming back to your film, you’ve constantly harped on the fact that it’s not propaganda but due to your proximity to certain political forces people tend to think otherwise. In fact, even the trade pundits felt your film was not widely anticipated and that your presence could have hampered footfalls. Are your own political leanings affecting the chances of this biopic?
Today, people might say that viewers were not looking forward to watching my film. These are the same people who will not say a word when my film runs housefull in their theatres. It’s very easy to be flippantly negative. We know what we have been through to make this film well, that too, in record time. And no matter who says what, I know that people are looking forward to the film, more so, after its release was randomly stalled. I find a new conspiracy theory about my film every day. I recently read that Mamata Banerjee’s biopic has expressed its release date as May 3. The conversation around the CBFC clearance and the EC’s clearance is happening now, weeks before its release. The same people knew all along when my film was expected. Why did they wait for the last day (before its release) to stall it?

You’ve still not answered whether you think your political leanings marred your film’s chances?
Counter question: Naseer saab is clearly anti-establishment. He’s one of the top names in the list of 600-700 people, who are dissuading people from voting the current party back in power. But did his film stop? The EC didn’t care for a film that insinuates that Indira Gandhi and Congress were responsible for Lal Bahadur Shastri’s sudden demise. What does this say? Are political leanings their benchmark to assess things? We have decided to fight for justice and we will do that till the very end. It’s funny that as long as the EC wasn’t stopping our film, people said, “EC is playing into the hands of the powers that be.” Today, why is no one saying that the EC is in the Congress pockets? If the earlier statements are true, so is this.

Have you thought about what you will do from this point onwards?
If the ruling is in our favour, we will chalk out a plan for the film’s release. If not, then we will fight it out till the end; there’s no looking back. It takes a lot of money, but everything is not about that. Principles bhi kuch hote hain na...

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 8, 2019)

Vivek Anand Oberoi has been in the news since December last year, ever since it was announced that he would headline the cast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s biopic, titled PM Narendra Modi. In January, posters of the film featuring Vivek as PM Modi were launched in over 20 languages. All of these, including the teaser and trailer that were unveiled in the subsequent months, collectively drew more criticism than appreciation for the film. Recently, the movie was even dragged to court and accused of being ‘propaganda material’. Today is a crucial day for the film’s makers, as a petition against it is expected to be heard in the Supreme Court. In the meanwhile, according to a statement given by the producers, its release date has now been moved to April 11 from April 5. Vivek spoke to Bombay Times about his journey which has been anything but a cakewalk...

Bank Chor, Krrish 3 and Great Grand Masti were some of your last films that released between 2016 and 17. With PM Narendra Modi slated for release this week, and with all the controversies surrounding it, are you anxious?
More than anything else, I’m eager for the audience to watch this film. We’ve put in our heart and soul into it and the journey has been incredible. It was almost impossible, but we finished the film with its scale intact, in 38 days. We travelled from the hot landscape of Kutch to the freezing terrain of Harsil (Uttarakhand). This film was more difficult and taxing for me than all the 45 films I’ve done in my 18-year-long career.

It's learnt that you were being considered to play PM Modi for another biopic, much before this film was made. Why didn’t that project happen?
It wasn’t one project. A lot of people thought of making a film on Modi ji, including me. In my case, it started when I attended the swearing-in ceremony in 2014. Everyone believed his story amazing, but Sandeep Ssingh (producer) was the only one to say it with conviction, ‘Main bana raha hoon, aap aaiye’. Omung Kumar was approached to direct, but he wasn’t sure at the outset. I told him that he shouldn’t shy away from what he’s good at, which is making biopics. It will be interesting to see what his take on the subject is because he is politically insulated. For Omung, it was about unravelling the layers of a man’s personality. I am politically astute and I understand it. I was involved with student politics and during my student years, I was also a GS in the university.

What is it that really drives you to give the nod to a project such as this biopic?
I am on two extremes. When I am working on a film, I am committed and I give it my all. Cold and hot weather and a demanding scene don’t deter me, but I only take up a project when I am inspired enough. It’s not for the money or the thrill of adding another film to my CV. Like I took up Lucifer in Malayalam, knowing that it’s a tough language to speak. But my reason for doing it was that I didn’t want to miss a chance to reunite with Mohanlal (they worked in Company, 2002). I was also warned against trying new media (web series). I was told I would end up getting written-off completely, but here I am. I didn’t sink.

Your career started with a bang with Saathiya and Company. You were touted to be one of the most promising actors in the early 2000s. Interesting roles and intense performances also won you accolades. Given this, your career graph has not been as extensive as it could have been. Do you feel you could have given more to the industry and received more from it?
I’m the guy whose professional obituaries have been surfacing since 2004. Due or no due, the fact is that I am still here, unbreakable. I have worked in six languages and won around 20 awards and I still get some great work to do. Instead of being in the rat-race, and running to the finishing line, I am spending time watching my kids grow. Acting gives me joy, but so does playing football in the garden with my son and lighting up my daughter’s dollhouse with her. I am on crazy schedule even now, but I don’t miss a chance to feed my bachchas and break bread with my wife and parents. I believe in maintaining work-life balance. Each day makes me feel like a winner and gives me a sense of fulfillment. I’ve often been asked about not getting my due in the industry. On the contrary, I am blessed with so much that I don’t see life in a unidimensional manner. I have a happy family and I choose the work I do. I am Destiny’s child because there’s nothing that hasn’t happened to shut me down and I'm still going strong. This is my life and I have accepted it with a smile. What else can I do? Crying is not an option, woh sab screen pe theek hai.

Shortly after you attended the PM’s swearing-in ceremony, people made memes of your look at the event with comments about how you even made it there...
(Laughs!) Yes, I remember that. It still makes me smile. In 2004, people said how did I make it to the film industry, in 2014, people asked how did I make it to the PM’s swearing-in ceremony, and in 2019, they are asking how did I get the role. Someday, there will be a biopic on me if people keep asking these questions, which I don’t mind.

But how did you really make it to PM Modi’s swearing-in ceremony?
I don’t like to wear my relationships on my sleeves. I built a beautiful equation with Mr Modi when he was the Chief Minister (CM) of Gujarat. I’ve personally seen him work, and people don’t realise this but after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he’s the only leader I campaigned for.

So, at some point, you do plan to get into politics?
I don’t know where life will take me, but for now, you will see me as a full-fledged politician for two hours on screen.

Are you in awe of PM Modi?
I am not a bhakt for sure. For me, it was a question of whether Modi ji's story inspires enough. It does. To me, even Dhirubhai Ambani’s story is just as inspirational. I am excited about this film because it tells every chaiwala and chowkidar that you too can become the PM.

It’s often said that getting too close to a subject could hamper your objectivity. In your case, you knew PM Modi very well. Didn’t that become a deterrent at any point?
One approach is to adapt the physicality of the person you’re playing. Omung and Sandeep ensured that I don’t caricature Modi ji. We were clear that the spirit of the man needs to be captured and portrayed. I did that when I played Maya Dolas in Shootout At Lokhandwala (2007). The man had curly hair, but it looked funny when I wore a wig to match his appearance. He also had a thick Marathi accent. Eventually, we decided to go without all of this and just focus on the kind of person Maya was. I studied him in great detail —his criminal history and met the cops who had shot him. The idea was to bring out that high he was riding on in the short span of his life.

Your film has been in the eye of controversies since inception. Even its release date has been moved twice. Did you anticipate that you might have to fight so many battles for this film to see the light of the day?
Yes, one knew that this might happen. Our legal team had warned us, but I could never understand why so many people (referring to political leaders) are scared of this film releasing. And if a film is so powerful, then people in politics should make films instead of campaigning and doing any other work in their constituencies. It’s great for cinema. If that theory was true, every election season would have a flurry of films. I think we’re giving too much importance to this issue. People will watch the film and decide whether it’s good or bad. Making films can never help anyone win elections. If someone thinks it is propaganda, let them prove it.

Biopics in India are often blamed for white-washing their subjects. Your film is being accused of it even before release.
Let them blame us, but we have never given that a thought. I’ve made this film for the mass audience. I’m told that Richard Attenborough was also accused of white-washing Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi. The film is considered to be iconic. Uske aage hamari film ki kya haisiyat hai?

In a two-hour film, how much of Modi’s life have you really covered? Does your film also touch upon the Gujarat riots, which took place in 2002?
We’ve covered a great spectrum. Omung has done tremendous justice in his effort to bring out as much of Modi ji’s life as possible in a short screen time of about two hours. There’s everything right up to his swearing-in ceremony. It’s his trials and tribulations that make the film inspirational.

Lastly, will we get to see Narendra Modi in the film?
We tried incorporating a portion at the end but it didn’t work. There is enough Modi in me, but not the real Modi ji in the film.

Harshada Rege (DNA; September 16, 2018)

Vivek Anand Oberoi has been celebrating Ganesh Utsav with much fervour. The actor, who has fond memories of participating in the festivities during his childhood years, too, reminisces, “I vividly remember being part of the visarjan procession and dancing all the way to Juhu Chowpatty to bid farewell to our beloved Bappa.” He tells After Hrs how his family has welcomed the Elephant God with great joy for over a decade now.

FOLLOWING THE RITUALS
All of us eagerly await this time of the year. We have been following the same traditions for all these years. They perform rituals and aarti before Bappa’s grihapravesh while my father breaks the coconut and conducts prayers thrice a day.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE POSITIVITY
This is the 12th year that we’ve brought the Lord home. I feel there’s so much love and positivity all around, especially for those 10 days when everyone comes together and celebrates the festival.

A FAVOURITE WITH THE KIDS
My children — Vivaan and Ameyaa — enjoy eating modaks and interacting with guests who visit us. They consider Ganesha to be their friend and treat him as a family member.

GOING GREEN
We have been bringing home an eco-friendly murti for the past 10 years. This is our way of doing our bit for the environment.

As told to Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 20, 2017)

My first job was when I was around 16 years old after I had returned to Mumbai from a boarding school in Ajmer. It combined my love for cinema and a means to earn some extra pocket money. I started off with Leela Ghosh who trained me as a voice artiste and I started dubbing for the Hindi version of English films like The Rock and even animation films like Babe and Disney Hour. I also lent my voice to TV shows like The Young And The Restless, Santa Babara and Small Wonder, among many more. I even dubbed for the popular Hindi TV show, Surabhi in English.

I enjoyed myself and soon became a successful voice artiste, frequenting studios more than college. I was earning Rs 40-50,000 a month, which was big money in those days. It was the kind of salary an MBA graduate would draw in a mid-level position. I went on to do radio plays with another legend, Rupa Sangle. Her training led to many advertisements, jingles and radio spots.

Eventually, it made way to compering live shows and soon I became the first choice as host for various college events. Siddharth Kannan, who is one of the most popular comperes in India today, started out around the same time. He was my junior in college.

It was an amazing time. I had just started junior college and would get Rs 500 as pocket money from my father (veteran actor Suresh Oberoi). But suddenly, in a years' time, I was raking in Rs 50, 000 a month.

The biggest challenge was animation films which required voice modulation. Sometimes, I would be called to do five-six characters in one show or film. I enjoyed changing my voice for each character, it was a great formal training for films. I adapted my voice for my debut film, Company, in which I played Chandrakant aka Chandu Nagre.

Leela Ghosh is no more but she remains my guru. In fact, not too long ago, I was asked to dub for the Hindi version of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, for the character of the villian Electro played by Jamie Foxx. It was like life coming a full circle because Mona Ghosh, Leelaji's daughter, was the dubbing director on the film. After the film released, Jamie Foxx sent me a personalised Electro idol with a note which read, "To my Indian Electro brother." I'm a big fan of his work so it meant a lot.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 brought back memories of the first film I had dubbed for as a voice artiste, Shyam Benegal's The Making Of The Mahatma. I had gone to meet Leelaji for the first time and she wanted me to start with crowd-dubbing. Crowd dubbing is when five-ten people stand in the studio and shout together. It's the background sound, also known as 'janta voices'. I was persistent and kept going back to her because I wanted to learn more. Fortunately, Leela ji took a liking to me.