Vivek Oberoi talks about taking a ‘pay cut’ to work down south and being picky with his next move

It’s been over two decades since actor Vivek Oberoi started his journey as an actor with Ram Gopal Varma’s Company. After being a part of nearing 50 projects – currently in his third decade – Oberoi is picking his projects astutely.

“I already know the ones that I’ve done just for money or just irresponsibly – out of insecurity as an actor – so I already know those movies. Today where I stand, I have realised that I don’t need to do that anymore,” Oberoi explains. Without sounding pompous, he calls his position an ‘empowering feeling’. He elaborates on this feeling, “When you feel you don’t have to do something for any other reason, but the joy and passion of it, then whether it’s a success or a failure,it’s an attempt that works or doesn’t, it doesn’t matter. After two decades of being in the industry you are empowered enough to be able to stand behind something that you love, that you believe in, that you’re attempting to do differently”

He cites his streaming show Inside Edge as an example: “When nobody was doing OTT, I was doing the show. I got phenomenal success from it with all the awards, the Emmy nominations. It was a very fulfilling feeling that this is what I can do.”

He recalls another decision of his – doing films down the south. “I decided I want to do a film in each Southern language. Even though I knew that whatever I charge in Hindi, in other languages, I can’t even get that fee. So, you take a pay cut and do harder work in a language that’s not natural to you,” he shares.

With experience also comes the responsibility. Oberoi admits of taking the onus of striving for an ‘egalitarian environment’ on the set. “I’m always a phone call for people going through any kind of difficulty or bullying or any of that with whatever project that I’m involved or I am in power. I’m not someone who will do the ‘senior-junior’ on the set. I’m very vocal about having an egalitarian atmosphere on the set,” he signs off.