It’s been a while since Vivek Oberoi felt jitters that accompany the release of film. His latest film 'Kismet Love Paisa Dilli' releases a little less than two years after the two-part 'Rakta Charitra' released in Hindi, Tamil and Telegu to lukewarm response. Vivek all but disappeared from scene after the debacle of RC. “I had invested so much in 'Rakta Charitra'. I spent a year with that film. It just took everything out of me. When it didn’t work, I was disheartened as well as angry. It was a good film that wasn’t marketed well,” he recalls.
Vivek decided that he needed to look at his career with fresh eyes. “I was tired and, on some level, bored. I realised that the reason I had stopped enjoying my work was because I was working without thinking objectively.”
The 36-year-old drew up a fresh list of parameters to judge forthcoming projects by. “I needed to push myself as an actor. I decided that I wanted to do fun films that allow me to experiment. Also, I wanted to try films that weren’t as intense as some of my previous work.”
In the space of one year, Vivek signed and started shooting for seven films. “In KLPD, I play a horny Delhi boy. There is Krissh 3 where I play a mad super villain while in J'ayanta Bhai Ki Luv Story', my character is a bhai who is in love. He doesn’t know how to deal with women or love. He is a very endearing character. I just want to have fun with my work.” And, he did have fun with KLPD. “The kinds of things I have had to do in KLPD were unimaginable for me,” he says with a laugh, adding, “let me give you an example. There is a ‘rape scene’ where I am tied up, with a ball in mouth and there are men and women around me who want to ‘have their way with me’. I am not a homophobe; I have quite a few gay friends but it was an extremely uncomfortable situation to be in. There was a guy on top me and kissing my chest... it was strange.”
Not only was Vivek back to enjoying work once again, his personal life was also on a new high. After a short engagement, Vivek married Priyanka Alva in 2010. “Seeing as how I was disillusioned with work, I decided to spend the year getting to know my new wife,” he says with a laugh. “We took a short break every single month in the year after we got married. So, we had 12 honeymoons instead of one long one.”
Last month, Vivek announced that Priyanka is expecting their first child. “I am so excited. I think I started thinking like a parent from the moment she told me. Something’s changed within me. I think I am ready to be a father.” He clearly remembers the day that changed the rest of his life. “It’s the craziest story. We were both in Singapore and she was coming back to Mumbai while I was headed to Jaipur to shoot for Sher. She was supposed to join me after a couple of days. I remember telling her at the airport that I had a feeling that she won’t be able to make it. And, that she’ll call and tell me that she is pregnant. Both of us laughed and that was the end of that conversation. Three days after, she called and told me. I was so upset that I couldn’t be there with her for the first visit to the doc. Soham called and said that I have next two days. I took the night flight because I didn’t want to be away from Priyanka for a second more than necessary.”
Vivek has been trying to spend as much time with Priyanka, promote KLPD and shoot for his forthcoming releases and it’s been a tough juggling act. “I have been trying to not compromise on family time. I fly back even if I have one day off. If I am in Mumbai, I rush home as soon as I can. As soon as the director yells ‘pack up’ I am in the car, driving back. I don’t even bother to take off my make-up or change out of my costume. I want to completely spoil her.”