Suresh Oberoi Recalls Sitting Outside Offices With Vivek Oberoi's Photos: 'It Was A Second Struggle'

Vivek Oberoi followed his veteran actor father Suresh Oberoi’s footsteps and became an actor himself. However, getting him a debut film was a task for both Vivek and Suresh. Suresh Oberoi even called it a “second struggle” for himself as he recalled sitting in front of producers’ offices with Vivek’s photographs. Finally, Ram Gopal Varma took a chance on Vivek and cast him in the 2002 film, Company.

Speaking to Bollywood Hungama recently, Suresh said that he was always preparing Vivek for Bollywood. He said, “I groomed him since his childhood. I made him do stage shows, got him to do (acting) classes and courses with my senior from FTII.”

“For Vivek, I would struggle. I would sit outside offices with his photos in my hand. Ram Gopal Varma’s office and all these other offices. It was a second struggle for me. Then, ultimately, Ramu (Ram Gopal Varma) gave him his first film,” Suresh said, speaking about the lengths he went to for his son.

However, in a recent interview, Vivek Oberoi said that Ram Gopal Varma had no idea who his father was until he was cast. Vivek said that he tried to avoid being known as Suresh Oberoi’s son till his debut film. “I didn’t tell anybody that I was Suresh Oberoi’s son because I didn’t want to embarrass my father. Also, I didn’t want to go around in the industry saying ‘Suresh Oberoi ka beta har office ke bahar aise bhatak raha hai (Suresh Oberoi’s son is wandering outside every office)’. I went quietly as Vivek Anand and struggled everywhere,” he told Curly Tales.

Suresh Oberoi was a huge name in Bollywood in the 1980s and 1990s. He started his career in radio and also tried his hand at modelling before venturing into films. He has been a part of several popular projects like Aitbaar, Raja Hindustani and Mazloom among others. He is also a recipient of the 1986 National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Mirch Masala. He was recently seen in Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal.

As for Vivek Oberoi, the actor was popular in the early 2002s and has been a part of several popular films like Saathiya, Prince and Masti among others. His career hit a slump after he held a press conference and said that Salman Khan had threatened him. Vivek recently made his comeback in Rohit Shetty’s web series, Indian Police Force. It also featured Sidharth Malhotra and Shilpa Shetty among others.