'I guess the gunda in me is coming out'

Celeb Talk

Vivek Oberoi is on a high these days. Amidst celebrations of becoming a dad, the actor has also seen back to back releases in Jayantabhai ki Luv Story and Zila Ghaziabad after a very long time. “It is a hectic but fabulous start to 2013,”  he shares with Metrolife.

Has Vivaan, his son, been the lucky charm for him? “He has brought a beautiful wave of love and light in my life. His name also signifies light that dispels darkness.”

It could be co-incidence that Vivek is now shifting focus to television for a children’s show, India’ best Dramebaaz or it could be the result of having a child around the house these days!

What prompted him to take up this new role on television? “It was a happy accident. I had gone to Zee to promote my film, where they talked about this show. It sounded a good idea, very creative and a new concept too. So one evening, I decided to go to the set and inter-acted with the children and thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was a little difficult to manage some dates but the channel adjusted Sonali’s, Anurag’s and my dates beautifully and I came on board,” he smiles. 

Coming back to his big screen portrayals, Vivek is best remembered as a gangster, in films like Company and now in Zila and Jayantabhai too he plays a gangster, though they are treated differently. Does he relate to these roles more? Vivek jokingly concurs: “I guess the gunda (gangster) in me is coming out on screen. Off screen, I am completely opposite. I am chilled out, people loving and easy going kind of guy. But doing aggressive roles in movies works better for me, I think.”

And he is experimenting with newer characters too, like the one in Krrish 3. “I am playing a comic book character who is completely dark, twisted and extremely funny. It has totally different shades.” Is he satisfied with the body of work that he is getting to do? “I love the roles that are being offered. It is fulfilling to receive such a wide range of roles of colour and form.”

Does the actor rely upon his actor father Suresh Oberoi to help him with film choices? “I am blessed to have constant guidance and support from my parents. My father always stands by me like any parent does. With his kind of experience I do try to take out as much learning as possible.”

His personal definition of being a parent is also similar. “You should just be there for your child just like my dad was for me. Unlike many parents who pressurise their children to achieve more and more, I was under no such pressure. Probably that is why I used to have fun performing in school and was a top scorer in academics too.”

Vivek will soon get busier with the post-production work of Krrish 3 and has plans to announce his New Year project in March. “I am blessed to have worked with top directors like Vishal Bhardwaj, Ram Gopal Varma  Mani Ratnam and now Rakesh Roshan. He is indeed in a very happy space in his professional and personal life and would not want it any other way.