Apoorva Lakhia says people threatened not to work with him after he cast Vivek Oberoi in Shootout at Lokhandwala: ‘Only Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty supported me’

Apoorva Lakhia shared that despite Vivek Oberoi being boycotted by the industry, he chose to cast him in Shootout at Lokhandwala because he saw him as a talented actor, regardless of his personality or controversies.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: May 29, 2023 05:53 PM IST

3 min read

Vivek Oberoi made his acting debut in 2002. (Photo: Vivek Oberoi/Instagram)

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Filmmaker Apoorva Lakhia has revealed that producers refused to work with him after he cast Vivek Oberoi for the film Shootout at Lokhandwala. Vivek, who allegedly clashed with Salman Khan, was unofficially sidelined by the industry for a long period. The director said that even though Vivek ‘was wrong’, he was still a talented actor and that’s why he hired him.

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Apoorva said, “At that time when I casted Vivek, a lot of producers called me and said ‘replace him or we won’t work with you.’ But I had given a commitment to Vivek, so how do you go back from a commitment? And Sanju sir supported me, Suniel Shetty supported me, Sanjay Gupta supported me. So if there guys are supporting me, I thought why should I think about the future? If Shootout became a hit, whoever rejected me will come back.”

He added, “But Vivek was a good actor. Whatever he did was wrong, he shouldn’t have done it, but that does not mean he is not talented. I am hiring for his acting abilities. I am not hiring any person for his personality. He is a professional and he was really good when I was reading with him. I think he did a fantastic job.”

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Vivek’s feud with Salman was a heavy professional toll on him. He was boycotted and lost out on opportunities as several important people in the industry refused to work with him. In 2003, Vivek claimed that Salman had called him 41 times and made threats to his life. This statement, according to many, had a negative impact on Vivek’s image and reputation.

In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Vivek had opened up about how his personal life impacted his career. “When my personal life got messed up, I couldn’t keep my eye on the ball. Even if I gave a hit, work wouldn’t follow. Shootout at Lokhandwala became a huge hit, but I sat at home for a year after that.” He had called what followed ‘a trial by fire’.

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