Luck,By Chance

Actor Vivek Oberoi on his role in Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakta Charitra,a film he hopes will revive his flagging career

With his marriage to Mumbai girl Priyanka Alva and the release of his much hyped performance in director Ram Gopal Varma’s Rakta Charithra all within days of each other,actor Vivek Oberoi is in no mood to contain his excitement. “It’s a good time for me. I am returning to the screen in a film made by my mentor Ram Gopal Varma after seven years and that too in a tri-lingual picture. It feels like a hat-trick for me,” gushes Oberoi,over the phone from Mumbai. “When Ramu called me last year to offer me the film,saying that the role was suited for me,he instantly burdened me with expectations. It was impossible to refuse him since he found something for me after so long,” he continues,without pause. The film,whose Hindi version will release on October 22,will see Oberoi playing the role of a slain politician from Andhra Pradesh. South Indian actors Surya and Priyamani are also a part of the movie,which reportedly runs for a duration of five hours. Rakta Charitra deals with the life and times of Andra Pradesh legislator from the Telugu Desam Party,Paritala Ravindra,who joined politics to hunt for the killers of his father and brother. With the help of Naxalites,he manages to succeed in his quest,and in the process gains many political enemies. The film follows Ravindra’s meteoric rise from a farmer to popular politician,ending with the climax of his assassination in 2005. Oberoi,whose last outing Prince was a bummer at the Box Office,is confident that the film will revive his flagging career. “If I wanted,I could have started my career with a film produced by my father. Instead,I started out at the bottom of the barrel serving tea to Farah Khan on sets. I attempted a different film each time — be it my controversial debut film Company; or the romantic role in Saathiya,or mastering a rural dialect in Omkara. Though some films failed miserably I have always looked for fresh perspectives to my roles,” he says.

Varma’s film which was shot in three languages (Tamil,Telugu and Hindi) simultaneously over a 150-day schedule across the country has had its share of highs for Oberoi. “I admired the immense potential of Paritala Ravi. To show the growth from a student to a leader and establish a parallel system of justice on one hand,and at the same time expose his deep vulnerability towards his people,wife and kids gave me an amazing character graph to work with. It’s something I have not attempted before,” he explains. He had to watch hours of video footage on the politician,listen to anecdotes from his followers and speak to family members to prepare for the role. “I cannot bank on this movie to transform things,since one should not measure success with box office only. But yes,it will usher new avenues for me,” he concludes.