Riteish Deshmukh and Vivek Oberoi are all set to tickle the funny bone once again for Y-Films with Bank Chor. While the Masti series saw the two actors thick as thieves, this time Vivek will be Riteish’s nemesis. Bank Chor has Riteish playing Champak Chiplunkar, an idiot who devises a plan to rob a bank with his two associates, who are equally dumb.
While people have been generous in complimenting Riteish for his comic timing, the man is modest. “It’s all common sense. I’ve observed a few things in my career and have implemented them. Any good comic scene will tell you that it’s always about two selfless actors. When you think of the actor more than you, then the scene often turns out to be good,” says Riteish.
Vivek plays Amjad Khan, a tough hip flask carrying supercop who doesn’t hesitate taking a swig even in full media glare. “I studied my father’s (actor Vivek Oberoi) films for this role and saw all his films in which he’s played a cop. You might find me sounding like my father in the film as I’ve tried a baritone for the role. The barometer is quite high, but I am hoping people will like it,” says Vivek.
The film has also been in news because of its innovative promotional campaign. As part of it, Riteish was subjected to a roast. Journalists at an event grilled him, where Vivek played the roast master. “I’m not much of a fan of roasts, especially if they’re abusive. You are free to grill me and make fun of my physical appearance, but it should stop at me and not include my near and dear ones,” he said.
About Bank Chor, he says, “It’s a cool film, meant for the youth. It’s not a film that has a life-changing dimension to it. It’s two hours of quick fun. Y-Films wanted to do something that was a clutter breaker, and we agreed to do it,” adds Vivek.
Riteish’s non-comedy films also did well. His debut film Tujhe Meri Kasam (2003) and the more recent Ek Villain are case in point. “I did Banjo, which was pure drama. It was rejected by the audiences. Then I thought of doing something in satire, and signed Bangistan. It failed at the box office. I’m hoping that a non-comedy film works at the box office, but I’m doing the same thing in the Marathi space,” he says.
While Riteish has found an anchor in his film career through comedy films, Vivek’s 15-year journey in the film industry is peppered with ups and downs. Marriage and children have made him a calmer man, who now refrains from looking into the past. When he made fun of himself at the roast by mentioning the infamous press conference where he slammed Salman Khan, people witnessed a changed Vivek. “I was clearly making fun of myself when I mentioned that incident at the roast. Now I don’t take it seriously. It was something that happened many years ago. Everybody has moved on in life,” he says.