Mumbai: Vivek Oberoi, who became everyone’s heartthrob with ‘Saathiya’ opposite Rani Mukherjee, recently shared some interesting anecdotes about the film and why he initially rejected the role. During an interview with Screen, Vivek talked about the challenges and memorable moments he experienced while working on the film, which became one of his most iconic projects.
Vivek revealed that when director Shaad Ali approached him for the project, he initially rejected it as he was already committed to the company. However, things changed when Shaad showed him a tape of the Tamil film Alaipayuthey, on which Saathiya was based. “Shaad Ali was like a childhood friend. He called me one day and said he wanted to show me something. He showed me the tape of a Tamil film called Alaipayuthey. He told me that he was making that film and wanted me to play the role of Maddy. I was running a company, so I said no. But by the end of the movie, I was crying, and I wanted to do it. I spoke to Mr. Verma, we figured it out and then finally I signed Saathiya.”
Vivek recalled that Saathiya was a low-budget film and as a newcomer, he faced many hurdles. He shared, “Only the Queen had a make-up van. I had to change in restaurant bathrooms and hotel washrooms. I did touch-ups on the streets. No one knew who I was. I used to carry a tripod on my shoulder. Kept it and walked with it.” The rest of the crew shot continuously for 22-23 hours for Saathiya, I used to keep newspapers on the bench and take naps so that I look fresh.
Vivek also narrated an incident when he realized his newfound fame during the shooting of Saathiya after the release of Company. He recalls, “Company was released on April 12, 2002 and that Sunday we were shooting near the railway channel for Gaiety Galaxy. There was a scene where I was chasing Rani. Initially, it was a normal day, but from 11 am to 12 noon, people started shouting ‘Chandu Bhai’ (his character in Company). From 4-5 people to about 2000 people gathered and the security system broke down. For safety, Shad had to push me into Rani’s makeup van and I looked at the crowd from the window. Shaad told me, ‘You are a star.’ Ultimately the police had to take me in a police van.
The actor said the scene had to be re-shot the following Sunday under police protection. On the professional front, Vivek Oberoi, who was recently seen in Indian Police Force, has started shooting for Masti 4, the next installment of the popular comedy franchise.
