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It has been 14 years for Vivek Oberoi in the Hindi film industry and we find him a contented man - both personally and professionally. While he’s turning producer soon with a film with Ram Gopal Varma, on the personal front, he’s taking his role as a father of two super seriously.
We met him for a tête–à–tête before the release of his upcoming film, Great Grand Masti.
Q: We’ve heard you praise the script of Great Grand Masti a lot these days...
Vivek: I remember when Great Grand Masti became a super hit - till date it has been the only adult certificate film to make Rs 100 crore - I had met someone at a party and he was saying such nice things about the film. I told him, ‘ I am grateful for all the love you are giving to the film, but according to me Masti was a better film. I enjoyed it more as an audience.’
What I love about Great Grand Masti is how the spirit of the film is exactly like Masti’s. The entertainment quotient is very high. The credit goes to Tushar Hiranandani (writer), Indu ji (Indra Kumar, director), Aakash Kaushik and Madhur Sharma (screenplay writers). The writers took a conscious effort to make it less abrasive and more funny. Generally situational comedies are much more engaging and entertaining.
Q: Because of the leak of Great Grand Masti online, the early release will make the film clash with Sultan. Is it a matter of concern?
Vivek: Unanimously people are loving Sultan. I loved the promos when I saw it myself. It is great to see big stars doing such things. I have been busy promoting my film, so I haven’t got the chance to watch it. I am really looking forward to going to a theatre to watch what the whole team has done.
As a fraternity, we should all be able to praise each other’s work, enjoy each other’s success and that is how we will grow as an industry. You cannot grow in isolation.Vivek Oberoi, Actor
I feel that every film has a run and an audience. There is an audience for our film, and we are very confident about it. When we announced that we are coming sooner, we got a phenomenal amount of positive feedback on social media.
Q: Speaking of sex comedies, many actors refrain from being a part of it. What do you think?
Vivek: In the last 30-35 years, there were many actors who said that they would never do an endorsement. But then there were many who did and many who eventually started doing it. Certain actors said that they would never touch television and many did end up doing it and enjoying it. I feel, depending on the time and place, it keeps changing and you cant hold somebody against it.
Q: You have completed 14 years in the industry...
Vivek: As far as the 14 years are concerned, it has been a celebration. I have seen ups and downs, but the last few years have been really great, especially on the personal front. I am really enjoying daddyhood and really looking forward to packing up and rushing back home to feed my babies dinner, bathe them, read them a story book and put them to bed. No matter whatever is happening in the outside world, when I do that, I feel life is beautiful.
On the professional front, I am starting a fabulous project with Excel Entertainment very soon. I would be producing my first film with Ramu ji (Ram Gopal Verma) and Eros International and Wave have come together for the project. Bankchor with Yash Raj Films comes out in October. Ah! life is good!
Q: We don’t see you much on social media. Do you feel it is not healthy to expose children to the culture of paparazzi?
Vivek: When I was growing up, we were never part of the filmdom much. I feel that the minute you start making your children feel that they are very different, something changes. I want them to grow up normal. I don’t want my children to analyse what car one has or how big is his house or what his father does? When we were growing up, we never thought of all these things. What mattered for us was, ye dost hai, acha hai… mere saath cricket khelta hai.
I mean I have seen a 7-year-old say that he won’t go to school in a certain car. I don’t want that to happen to my kids! If they have to travel in a rickshaw also, they should be happy and comfortable. There is nothing wrong with it, the entire world travels in it. I remember when I had just joined college, I had asked my father for a car. He told me to take a train or a bus like everyone else. Today I thank him for it, I grew up normal because I travelled in that bus and that train. The only thing you can give to your children is a value system and nothing else.
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