However, one press conference in 2003 seemed to change it all for him. Actor Vivek Oberoi was considered one of the rising stars in the early 2000s thanks to films like Company and Saathiya. Now, years later, Vivek claimed on the Relearn podcast that he was ‘in hell’ during the fallout of the controversy. He also claimed that filmmakers who wanted to work with him would get calls from the underworld, warning them against it.
Because i wasn’t able to deliver, i didn’t get the work not. He also claimed that everything ‘snowballed and just got worse’ for him, with filmmakers dropping him from projects. And those who stood by him would allegedly receive calls from the underworld. “Those who decided to stick by me for ethical reasons would suddenly call me a few weeks later and say, listen man, I got a call from the underworld. I had gangsters calling me, saying that, you film with this guy and you’re done; you’re toast. I went through real hell, real misery. It wasn’t based on talent. It wasn’t based on performance. It wasn’t based on work ethic.
It was based on something that I couldn’t control,” said Vivek.
Vivek Oberoi’s career
I would have people pulling out of films I had signed. It will be released next year. Vivek was asked to talk about the controversy he faced in the early 2000s even as his career was taking off. I tried to stand up for something. I came from the thought process that there’s a certain line you don’t cross. Women have to be respected and treated a certain way. I stood up to what I perceived was wrong, and I started being bullied a lot. Despite delivering successes, hits, and awards, a very powerful lobby took over. I became persona non grata. Vivek experienced career fluctuations after early success. The actor played Ravana’s brother-in-law and Surpanaka’s husband, Vidyutjihva, in the film. He now has Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit lined up for release. The film stars Prabhas and Triptii Dimri in lead roles.
He even tried to play morally grey and dark characters in films such as Krrish 3, Vivegam, and Lucifer. After starring in Kesari Veer and Masti 4 in 2025, he starred in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana Part 1 this year.
Without taking names or getting into details of what happened, he said, “It was a very dark phase in my life.
