DREAMS Galore

I sorely missed being up there. But the musical is not a closed chapter. I am very close to the organisers,who were gracious enough to let me go when I felt that my commitment to Rakta Charitra wouldn8217;t leave me with much time to do justice to the show. Anyway the shows will continue for several months, so I have told them that whenever I have two-three months off I will be there,to do about 50 to 60 shows, smiles the actor,relaxing in the lounge of a suburban hotel in Mumbai,where he was attending a few meetings since his home is under renovation.

But presently it is Ram ,besides of course his marriage to his fiancee Priyanka Alva that will take place on October 29. With two of the most important events scheduled around the same time,the actor is charting out his schedule so that he gives ample time to both.

Like Ram Gopal Varma said,my 8216;marriage8217; to Rakta8230; was fixed much before Priyanka came into my life,so I am leaving no stone unturned to promote the film as aggressively as I can. But at the same time I will be keeping a keen eye on all the wedding preparations as well, says Vivek,adding that as his home is being renovated,he8217;s planning an intimate and beautiful wedding in Bengaluru and a grand reception in Mumbai for his friends.

I am so happy that Priyanka and I think along the same lines. She belongs to a royal family from Karnataka that follows the Gandhian ideologies and like me is actively involved in social activities. In fact,we both have decided to include an event for the less fortunate as well. This will take the celebration to another level altogether,though it8217;s too early to discuss the details now, he adds.

Coming to Rakta Charitra,Vivek says that the promos that were screened with Dabangg have aroused a lot of curiosity about the film.

Rakta Charitra may not be your typical masala entertainer,but it is extremely engaging. Paritala Ravi,on whom the film is based,was a Gandhian in morality but eventually drawn to extreme violence. When Ramu narrated his life to me,I couldn8217;t believe that it was a true story! An ordinary man became an outlaw and then went on to become one of the most respected political figures in Andhra Pradesh. I have played a gangster inspired by Maya Dolas in Shootout At Lokhandwala ,but Ravi8217;s character with all its layering is truly amazing, says Vivek,who has still retained his moustache for the promotion of the film.

According to Vivek,getting the physical demeanour of Ravi right was not tough,but it was his attitude and the body language that was difficult. There was this shine that he had in his eyes that I had to reflect,his attitude bordered on the arrogant and his vulnerability because of his deep-rooted emotional connect with the people. It was after a lot of research,discussions with Ramu,and reading about Ravi that I could imbibe his characteristics, says Vivek.

The other challenge was enacting each scene thrice over 8211; in Hindi,Telugu and finally Tamil. Though Vivek is adept in Tamil,speaking in Telugu was a bit of a tongue twister. But like he says,the bigger the challenge the more exciting it gets.

Interestingly,Vivek who made his debut in Bollywood in Ram Gopal Varma8217;s Company and then worked with him in Road and Darna Mana Hai,is working with his mentor after seven years. Yes,it is a long time indeed,but once I started working it was like old times. What I noticed about Ramu was an extraordinary passion and involvement with Rakta Charitra,something I had never seen with his other films, twinkles Oberoi.

But now Vivek is keen to deviate from serious subjects and do some frothy ,fun and mass-oriented films with a desi flavour. In fact,he has signed a couple of films and is waiting for the production houses to make the announcements. I am very excited about the new films I have signed and it is all thanks to my last release,Prince,which had the biggest opening of my career. I will never be able to thank Kumar Taurani enough for the faith he had in me, says Vivek in an emotional tone.

But he has made an exception for Bloody Paki with the London terrorist attacks as the backdrop,which will be directed by Shiva,who assisted Mani Ratnam on Raavan. The film,which was to take off in August this year,has been postponed to May 2011. I could not get away to shoot for a new film at that time because I was very involved with Rakta Charitra. And since 90 percent was to be shot in London where we have long days only from May onwards,we did not have a choice but to postpone it to next year, smiles the actor.