Vivek Oberoi: The 2003 press conference that changed everything

When Vivek Oberoi broke through in the early 2000s with Company and Saathiya, he looked like one of Bollywood’s next leading men. On the Relearn podcast, he now describes a single 2003 press conference as the moment that put that rise on hold.

The fallout he calls a dark phase

Oberoi did not name anyone or repeat the specifics of the controversy. Instead, he framed it as a stand he felt compelled to take about a line being crossed.

“It was a very dark phase in my life. I tried to stand up for something,” he said on the podcast.

He said he was “bullied a lot,” and that a powerful lobby turned him into “persona non grata.” Films he had signed began to fall away.

What he claims happened behind the scenes

The toughest part of his account is the machinery he says worked against him. Filmmakers who wanted to stand by him would reportedly reverse course within weeks, explaining that they had been warned.

• He says those loyal to him told him they received calls from the underworld.
• The message, as he remembered it: film with him and “you’re done.”
• He insists the lost work was not about talent, performance or work ethic.

That distinction matters: his early career had hits and awards, and he says the freeze happened despite the results. For an audience that often judges actors by box office alone, his version is a reminder that off-screen forces leave marks that numbers do not show.

From being shut out to tentpole films

After his early stardom, Oberoi moved through a mix of dark and morally grey roles in Krrish 3, Vivegam and Lucifer. He had Kesari Veer and Masti 4 in 2025, then played Vidyutjihva in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana Part 1 this year. Next up is Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit, headlined by Prabhas and Triptii Dimri, which is scheduled for release next year.

On its face, the slate looks like a comeback story. But the part Oberoi wants people to notice is the lost time between the first success and the second act.

Source: Hindustan Times

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#Bollywood#Ramayana Part 1#Relearn podcast#Spirit#underworld claims#Vivek Oberoi