Vivek Oberoi

Vivek Oberoi is sleepless in New York!

When
your schedule is packed, it is difficult to find time for friends and
family. But there are some, who go out of their way to make sure that
they don’t miss out on the most important things in life. Take Vivek
Oberoi for instance. The actor attended the premiere of Shootout At
Lokhandwala, and had to immediately fly off to New York for a show. Even
in the midst of all this, when he decided to catch a wink at his hotel,
all his friends from New York decided to give him a surprise. Vivek, who
has studied in the US and hadn’t met his old buddies in a long time.
When the guys learnt that the actor was performing at the event, they
decided to pay him a visit. Obviously, Vivek was delighted to see them
and spent quite some time with them. Well the result was that he didn’t
get any sleep! And we thought only Shah Rukh Khan could manage to go for
days on end without sleep. Look out SRK, Vivek is giving you some tough
competition!

Vivek Oberoi : The runaway man!

Vivek
Oberoi seems to have a penchant for beauty pageant winners. After his
relationships with model Gurpreet Gill and Aishwarya Rai, he was
recently spotted playing a gracious host to Miss Sri Lanka, Jacqueline
Fernandes (Jackie), who is currently in India. Vivek and Jackie were
spotted together on three different occasions on Saturday. The two
attended a food guide launch at a hotel after which they went to a
popular nightclub before attending a private party at a producer’s
house.

However, Vivek is obviously not looking at being spotted with Jackie
by the press yet. So, the moment Vivek saw a journalist at the party,
simply turned around and ran to his car and disappeared from the scene.
Onlookers swear that it was the fastest escape that Vivek could have
ever made! All he managed to mutter to Jackie before running away was,
“There are reporters here!”

Although Jackie, who is considerably new in India, was trying to
figure out the reason behind Vivek’s quick retreat, she was far more
comfortable about her friendship with him.

Jackie says, “Vivek and I were at the same function earlier in the
day. We sat next to each other and that’s where we had a great
conversation. We also went to a nightclub with friends after the event.
It was sweet of Vivek to accompany me to this private party that I was
supposed to attend.”

So why did he leave so quickly? “Maybe he had some other party to
attend,” she says with a smile.

Vivek gets his share of thrills

When
it comes to playing pranks, few can beat Vivek Oberoi. But while he
loves to fool around, the actor is an equally sincere worker. When he
was required to do a certain action scene recently for a film, the
action director insisted that Vivek train daily for the sequence,
especially since it involved heavy usage of cable wires. Much to his
delight, Oberoi took up the challenge with gusto. In fact, he was
literally enjoying his new adventure. Now, we hear the scenes have
turned out so well that they have left everyone totally impressed!

Vivek is wary of getting into a new relationship

Terrible
Tuesday: Vivek Oberoi is a shaken man. On Tuesday. he was busy tracking
down an employee’s husband who went missing after the series of blasts
that ripped through local trains yesterday. “We went crazy trying to
locate him. We were so worried and she has a four-year-old child.
Because of the traffic jams, it was difficult reaching any place.
Finally, we found out that he had been admitted in one of the hospitals.
He is injured, but he is okay,” he recounts.

Saif & more: On the professional front, things are more upbeat. Vivek
is thrilled at the way Vishal Bharadwaj’s ‘Omkara’ has shaped up.
“Working with a director who has a combination of pristine clarity and
pure passion is a pleasure. I was supposed to do Vishal’s film ‘Barf’,
which was to be directed by Ajay (Devgan), but that didn’t work out.
Thankfully, this time around I got a chance to work with them.” Vivek’s
character Kesu Phirangi, a charmer and popular with women, seems so much
like him in real life. Vivek smiles and says, “Oh no, I am a shy guy in
real life.” The actor says he got along really well with Saif Ali Khan
while shooting for the film. “I applaud Saif’s commitment and belief. He
actually shaved his head for the role. It is difficult to take that
plunge.”

Et Tu? In the film, Saif’s character is jealous of Kesu. How does
Vivek deal with jealousy in real life? “We all face jealousy. There have
been so many people in my life who’ve pretended to be my friends and for
who I have done so much, who’ve backstabbed me. When you are faced with
betrayal you want to forgive and move on, but it is always at the cost
of faith,” he says, adding that he has become a tougher person.

Bachelor boy: Ask him if he’s looking out for a girlfriend and he
retorts, “Do I need to look for one?” Does that mean he has a long queue
of aspiring girlfriends? “I am enjoying the attention of pretty girls.”
Suddenly, he gets serious. “I think I will steer away from serious
relationships for a long time. It will take a while for me to recover
from what happened to me earlier… I cannot commit to anyone,” he says,
obviously referring to his break-up with Aishwarya Rai. Interestingly,
his newly acquired single status has given him a bigger female fan
following. “I love that euphoria, but for now, I’m happy to be single.”

Vivek signs up for guitar lessons

In
Vishal Bharadwaj’s ‘Omkara’, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Othello,
Vivek essays the character of Kesu Phirangi (Cassio). In his bid to
develop the character and heighten the authenticity of certain scenes,
where he is seen strumming a guitar, Vivek has taken up guitar lessons.
He’s got his musician friend to travel all the way to Wai, near
Mahabaleshwar, where they were shooting, to help him out.

Reminiscent of his ‘Company’ days, Vivek seems to be back with his
erstwhile perfectionist zeal. His director Bharadwaj is ready to give
praise where it is due, “Vivek is a very dedicated actor. He has done a
good job in ‘Omkara’.”

Vivek’s mobike diaries

Vivek
Oberoi is nursing his latest passion - that of acquiring a new
motorbike, in spite of recuperating from viral fever currently. Once he
purchases this dream bike, the actor intends to go on a motorbike trek
with a group of friends exploring North India.

“He has been on the look-out for the right kind of bike for himself
for quite some time. He is constantly in touch with his designer Arjun
Khanna who has an amazing collection of vintage bikes,” says a close
friend of Vivek’s.

Not that this passion is new (Vivek used to ride on a bike when he
was in Mithibai College), but it had been dormant ever since he entered
the film industry. “I like heavy metal motorbikes, rather than sports
bikes. I prefer the ones Sanjay Dutt and Sanjay Gupta have,” says Vivek.
“I love travelling and interacting with people from new places. In that
way I get the opportunity to discover the country too.”

Meanwhile, the actor was unable to attend the promotional shoot of
his forthcoming film Omkara due to his indisposition. “I was travelling
and also working out regularly. I think I need to rest now,” he says.

Vivek Oberoi pulls a ‘hairy’ prank!

It’s sometimes really funny how actors play pranks on each other. But
Vivek Oberoi doesn’t even spare the producer. Apparently, he roped in
hair stylist Aalim for the prank and the two convinced producer Sachin
Bajaj to colour his hair with slight tits on the sets of Naksha, in
spite of the latter’s initial reluctance. When Sachin finally sat with
Aalim, Vivek made Aalim colour Sachin’s hair a blonde shade instead.
When Sachin realised what had happened, he was fuming. Of course, Vivek
just managed to escape the ensuing storm by the skin of his teeth.
Incidentally, Oberoi actually had the entire incident recorded on
camera, we hear. Now wonder if he plans on blackmailing Sachin!

Vivek mobbed by fans in Lonavla

Bollywood
actor Vivek Oberoi seems to have a huge fan following… that despite not
having had a single hit in the last few years. The actor, who recently
decided to go on a long drive with his friends to Lonavla, was mobbed by
fans when he stepped out from his car. Oberoi and his group of friends
stopped at a roadside motel to pick up some snacks. While his friends
stepped out of the vehicle, he preferred to stay inside. But apparently,
looking at his friends having fun outside, he decided come out as well.

“It was probably a mistake,” he says because in minutes hoards of
people came flocking by just to catch a glimpse of the star. He
continues, “It was maddening, but I am fine. I love my fans and they
love me unconditionally. But finally my friends had to push them aside
and escort me to the car.”

Meanwhile, Oberoi is all excited about his forthcoming release Omkara.
The film is based on William Shakespeare’s Othello and Vivek plays
Cassio. “It was a wonderful experience working with Vishal and I am sure
that people will like it,” he says.

Recently, he was panned by Indian media when at the Cannes Film
Festival he apparently said that Bhardwaj’s take on the classic play was
an improvement on the original. Clearing the air around the controversy,
he says, “I have been misinterpreted. I will never say such inane thing
about Shakespeare. I wanted to say that in my opinion, Vishal’s
interpretation of Othello is the best so far. It couldn’t have been
better.”

Oberoi has so far been a little hesitant about exposing on-screen.
(Ram Gopal Varma had asked him to do a shirtless song with Antra Mali
for Dum he declined) However these days it seems like he is considering
the option after all. After his split with Aishwarya Rai, he has lost
weight and looks ready to expose on screen. “I am basically a shy guy.
Unless a script demands I don’t think I would so something like that…
though I am getting mails from my female fans and they want to see my
shirtless,” he confesses saying that he might just do a shirtless number
like Salman Khan.

He continues, “It is good to shed excess weight. It makes you feel
lighter, happier and healthier. There is no effort from my side. I am
the same old person, obsessed with my love… cinema.” Vivek’s personal
trainer had apparently reported that he has done a bare body scene for
the first time in Vishal Bharadwaj’s Omkara. He will be seen in a hawan
scene with Ajay Devgan and Saif Ali Khan. Ask him to confirm the news
and all he reveals is, “I can’t discuss the scenes from the film!”