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

A Father's Effort

Vivek Oberoi's entry into Bollywood with Ram Gopal Varma's Company in 2002 is well-known, but the journey to that debut was not easy. In a recent conversation on Nidhi Vasandani's YouTube channel, his father, veteran actor Suresh Oberoi, recalled how he once again had to navigate the industry's struggles, this time for his son. "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," Suresh said.

At the time, Suresh was working with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who was developing Company and looking for an actor. Suresh suggested Varma watch Vivek's work, and a recording from Vivek's acting institute was shown. According to Suresh, Varma came to their house to watch the tape and was impressed, eventually casting Vivek as gangster Chandrakant "Chandu" Nagre. The film also starred Ajay Devgn, Mohanlal, Manisha Koirala, and Antara Mali in pivotal roles.

Vivek's Own Struggle

Vivek Oberoi, however, has shared a different perspective on his path to success. In a 2022 interaction with India Today, he revealed that he struggled for two years before landing his debut role. He said he dropped his surname and used "Vivek Anand" during auditions to avoid association with his father's stardom. "I went everywhere as Vivek Anand. I went to [production] offices, waited for 6 to 10 hours in audition queues," he recalled. "After I said no to shooting my dad's production, it took me almost two years, struggling every single day and facing so many rejections, before I got Company. And I was just proud that I made it on my own merit and talent."

Sources indicate that Ram Gopal Varma initially felt Vivek looked too polished for the role. Vivek reportedly rented a place near a slum and worked on his look, with help from a struggling photographer. When he turned up at Varma's office in the character's appearance, it helped convince the filmmaker.

From Struggles to Stardom

Following Company, Vivek appeared in films like Saathiya, Masti, and Yuva. Suresh has previously said that Saathiya is among his favourite performances of Vivek, and he felt proud watching his son in Company.

Vivek's recent release, Mastiii 4 (2025), received largely negative reviews and grossed ₹15 crore worldwide, becoming the lowest-grossing film in the Masti series.

Looking ahead, Vivek has two major projects. He plays the primary antagonist in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's Spirit, starring Prabhas. He will also appear as Vidyujjihva, Shurpanakha's husband, in Nitesh Tiwari's two-part Ramayana, produced by Namit Malhotra. The combined budget for the two parts has been reported at around Rs 4,000 crore, with a large ensemble cast, advanced visual effects, and an international production team.