Before Bollywood debut, Vivek Oberoi’s father went door to door with his pictures to launch his career. Now, the actor is part of a Rs 4,000 crore movie

Vivek Oberoi made a memorable entry into Bollywood with Ram Gopal Varma's Company in 2002. However, getting that first opportunity was far from easy. Before the actor became a familiar face on screen, his father and veteran actor Suresh Oberoi made efforts to help him find a foothold in the industry. Suresh recently recalled taking Vivek's photographs from one office to another and approaching filmmakers for an opportunity. Years later, Vivek is set to be part of one of Indian cinema's biggest projects, Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana.

Suresh Oberoi went looking for work for Vivek

Suresh Oberoi recently looked back at the early days of Vivek's career and recalled how he tried to help his son get a break in Bollywood. In a conversation on Nidhi Vasandani's YouTube channel, the veteran actor said that he once again had to go through the struggle of approaching people for work, this time for his son.

Suresh explained, "I had to struggle for him again, went door to door. Like I used to take my pictures, now I was taking Vivek's pictures." Around the same time, he was working with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who was developing Company and looking for an actor who could fit the film.





Suresh suggested that Varma consider watching Vivek's work. Vivek had a recording from his acting institute, which the filmmaker agreed to watch. According to Suresh, Varma was impressed after seeing the tape.

That eventually opened the door for Vivek to become part of Company. The 2002 crime drama, which also starred Ajay Devgn and Manisha Koirala, went on to become an important film in Vivek's career and helped establish him as an actor to watch.

For Suresh, seeing his son make his debut was an emotional moment. He recalled feeling proud while watching Vivek's performance. Interestingly, although Company remains a significant film in Vivek's career, Suresh has previously said that Saathiya, in which his son starred opposite Rani Mukerji, is among his favourite performances.

Vivek has a different version of his struggle

While Suresh remembers helping his son approach the industry, Vivek has previously spoken about building his career largely on his own merit. In an earlier conversation with India Today, the actor said he deliberately did not use the Oberoi surname while approaching production houses and went by the name Vivek Anand.

He recalled visiting production offices and spending six to 10 hours waiting in audition queues. According to Vivek, he faced rejections for nearly two years before finally getting Company. He has maintained that he was proud of securing the role because he believed his talent and hard work earned him the opportunity.

Vivek also recalled an interesting hurdle he faced while trying to convince Ram Gopal Varma. The filmmaker initially felt that the actor looked too polished for the role he was being considered for.

Instead of giving up, Vivek decided to change his appearance and immerse himself in the world of the character. He rented a place close to a slum and worked on his look. A struggling photographer also helped him capture pictures that suited the character better.

When Varma returned a few weeks later, Vivek reportedly turned up at his office in the character's appearance. The transformation helped convince the filmmaker that he could fit the role.

The result was Company, which gave Vivek a strong start in Bollywood and was followed by films such as Saathiya, Masti and Yuva.

Vivek Oberoi joins Rs 4,000 crore Ramayana

More than two decades after his debut, Vivek is now part of another massive film project. The actor will be seen in Nitesh Tiwari's ambitious two-part Ramayana.

The epic is being produced by Namit Malhotra and has attracted attention for its enormous scale. The combined budget for the two parts has been reported at around Rs 4,000 crore, making it one of the most expensive film projects in Indian cinema.

The project features a large ensemble cast and is being mounted as a global-scale adaptation of the Indian epic. With advanced visual effects and an international production team involved, Ramayana is expected to be significantly different in scale from the films Vivek worked on in his career.