Vivek Oberoi has opened up about the existence of a powerful lobby in Bollywood during a conversation with host Kash Ruparelia. In a promotional snippet shared ahead of the full interview, he spoke about a difficult phase in his life when he faced intense bullying.
Vivek Oberoi said, "I stood up to what I perceived was wrong, and I started being bullied a lot. And it was a really difficult phase in my life because, despite delivering the successes, the hits, winning awards, a powerful lobby kind of just took over. And I became persona non grata. So, I would have people pulling out from films that I signed and saying, 'Sorry, man, we can't do this with you anymore.'"
He continued, "Those who decided to stick by me for ethical reasons and said, 'No, no, you know, whatever it is, you're right and, you know, we are gonna back you,' would suddenly call me a few weeks later and say, 'Listen, man, I got a call from the underworld.'"
"'I got gangsters calling me saying that, "You film with this guy and you're done, you're toast." Uh, he says, "I can't take that risk with my life and my family's life,"' added Vivek Oberoi.
He concluded by saying he went through "real hell".
About The Feud
Back in 2024, Vivek Oberoi opened up about receiving threats from the underworld following his infamous public feud with "powerful people" in the industry during an interview with Entertainment Live.
Aishwarya Rai was famously in a committed relationship with Salman Khan. Following their much-publicised split, speculation arose linking her romantically with Vivek Oberoi. The culmination of this saga was the infamous press conference held by Oberoi, in which he accused Salman Khan of making threatening phone calls. While Aishwarya never publicly acknowledged her relationship with Vivek, the two reportedly went their separate ways in 2003. Aishwarya later married Abhishek Bachchan in 2007.
Vivek Oberoi has been married to Priyanka since 2010. She is the daughter of former Karnataka minister late Jeevaraj Alva and reputed dancer Nandini. The couple are parents to a daughter and a son - Vivaan Veer and Ameya Nirvana.
ALSO READ | Vivek Oberoi On Facing Professional Sabotage: "Received Threats From The Underworld"
