PremiumVivek Oberoi opens up about challenges faced while filming Saathiya, says 'I used to sleep on benches...’
Vivek Oberoi became a well-known name after co-starring with Rani Mukerji in Saathiya. He discussed the difficulties he faced during the movie's filming in a recent interview.
Last Updated: 05.25 PM, Feb 26, 2024
Vivek Oberoi gained popularity immediately after making his debut in 2002. He rose to fame in Bollywood after he co-starred with Rani Mukerji in Saathiya as Aditya Sehgal. However, things were not all hunky-dory in the initial phase of Vivek’s career. Read on to know more about the Saathiya actor’s struggling days...
Challenges during filming Saathiya
A romantic drama, starring Rani Mukerji and Vivek Oberoi in lead roles, Saathiya became a superhit for its screenplay, acting and music. However, it wasn’t easy to shoot for the film, as Vivek Oberoi disclosed in a recent interview with Humans of Bombay. Speaking about the challenges faced during the movie’s shoot, Vivek said, “I used to sleep on the benches because we had no budget. I used to change clothes in restaurant toilets because I didn’t have a makeup van.” When asked why so, Vivek revealed that his debut film Company hadn’t been released at the time and he had already started filming Saathiya. Since the cast was mostly shooting on railway stations, he had to sleep on the benches due to lack of budget. Sharing more about those days, Vivek added, “There was a time when I was carrying equipment, I had gone back to my assistant days after my debut.”
People advised Vivek Oberoi against doing Saathiya
Interestingly, a lot of people, including his debut film’s director Ram Gopal Varma, had advised him to not do Saathiya as they had started associating with him as an action hero instead of a lover boy. Explaining further, Vivek quipped, “My mentor Ram Gopal Varma dissuaded me from taking up Saathiya. However, I thought of seeking his forgiveness later than permission earlier.” It was the story and the director, who was Vivek’s friend, that appealed to the newcomer and hence he went ahead with that film.
Recalling how the role came to him, Vivek said, “Saathiya’s director Shaad Ali is my school friend. He was initially making the film with Abhishek Bachchan but that didn’t work out. I already had my debut film, Company....” Well, Saathiya was meant to come Vivek’s way and change the course of his film career in a positive direction altogether.
Vivek’s last work performance
Vivek Oberoi was recently seen in Rohit Shetty’s digital directorial debut Indian Police Force, streaming on Amazon Prime Video. Starring as Joint CP Vikram Bakshi in the action thriller, Vivek Oberoi charmed the viewers with his portrayal of the character with a soul beyond the khaki uniform. A much-loved character, Vivek was seen standing for and protecting not just his duty towards the organisation but also his colleagues and family members with equal gusto in his second OTT outing.