Vivek Oberoi rose to prominence in the early 2000s in the film industry; however, later in life, his career fell into a slump. After his fight with Salman Khan was highly publicized, Oberoi faced an involuntary industry boycott; however, he is a co-star and close friend Akshay Kumar who stood by his side and helped him. In a recent interview, the actor opened up about the time when he wasn’t landing films or any projects, and how the ‘OMG’ actor was one of the few people who helped him when no one else was ready.
Vivek: Oberoi talks about how Akshay Kumar saved him
Oberoi recalls that after being hit and boycotted by the Bollywood industry in the early 2000s, Akshay Kumar came to his rescue. The actor, while talking to Mirchi Plus, revealed that at that time he was unemployed, and faced rejection from everyone, no matter what.But, one day, Akshay Kumar called him on a call. The actor revealed that Kumar contacted him, and also listened to his condition. He added, “Akshay Kumar, superstar! Called me one day and asked, ‘Where are you?’ I told him I was at home, very depressed. Half an hour later, he landed at my house. He said he wanted to sit down and talk to me. Then, he asked me about the problems I was going through.”He went on and talked about how ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ told him that he would transfer some of his offers to him to help him. “He said, ‘Look, I can’t do anything about all this, but I can help shape your positive thinking’. Then he said that there are so many shows going on, I have many blockbuster songs, and he’s busy shooting. So, he can’t do these movies because of his busy schedule, and he can divert them to me”, Oberoi shared, adding that he is the one in disbelief of the role.Oberoi commented, “He didn’t want to do this and asked me to take them. Kya baat hai! Who does this for someone?”
Vivek Oberoi says Akshay Kumar’s help has brought him back to the Bollywood scene
With the help of fellow actors in movies and other projects, he got good roles and even earned money at that time. He further mentioned that, “With that help, I started back on stage, started seeing fans in a show, they were happy, and I got a good positive feeling. I also made money. My disappointment is that I deliver films, they have achieved success, got awards, but why am I still not getting work? Why boycotted?”Oberoi also mentioned that instead of saying that he can do something about the boycott, Kumar gave him a chance to work and overcome himself. “So, he didn’t say I will stand up for you, I will fight in the lobby, etc. He gave me a simple, practical solution”, he shared.
What happened to Vivek Oberoi and Salman Khan?
Oberoi shot to fame with his debut films, ‘Company’ and ‘Sathiya’; however, it was a comment he made against Salman Khan that landed him in muddy water. During a press conference, the actor commented about how Salman Khan intimidated him, and how he did it because Aishwarya Rai was said to be with Vivek after breaking up with the ‘Ek Tha Tiger’ actor.