Top five roles of Vivek Oberoi

On his birthday, we make a list of Vivek Oberoi’s killer performances.

 

 

 

Company (2002)


Director: Ram Gopal Varma


He was reportedly paid one crore for his debut in the film and created a sensation with his natural ease in front of the camera as Chandrakant "Chandu" Nagre, a misguided youth who becomes number two in the Mumbai underworld hierarchy and even gets his onetime friend and mentor killed in the end. He was acting besides actors of such calibre as Mohanlal and Ajay Devgn but acted like a veteran.


 

 

 

Road (2002)


Director: Ram Gopal Varma


We don’t make road movies and Road was the closest we have ever come to the genre. The usual formula for such films is to have dysfunctional characters confronting each other on the highway and the film followed the adventures of an eloped couple, played by Oberoi and Antara Mali and their tryst with a deranged serial killer, played by Manoj Bajpai. Here too, he was excellent as a man really out of his element and unable to control his circumstances.

 

 

 

Saathiya (2002)


Director: Shaad Ali


It was the remake of the Tamil film, Alaipayuthey directed by Mani Ratnam. It could be said to be his first full-fledged romantic film. He looked good as a young husband who is distraught over his wife’s (Rani Mukerji) accident and rediscovers love for her as he relives his life in flashback. Great music by AR Rahman helped make it a big musical hit.


 

 

 

Yuva (2004)


Director: Mani Ratnam


Mani Ratnam was suitably impressed by him to give him one of the key roles in Yuva, which was a critique of the changing face of Indian society. He played a young student who wants to settle in US for a better future and his character reflected the aspirations of today’s youth. He managed to make a name for himself, in the able company of Ajay Devgn and Abhishek Bachchan.


 

 

 

Omkara (2006)


Director: Vishal Bhardwaj


He created a buzz as Kesu Firangi in this Vishal Bhardwaj’s adaptation of Othello set in UP badlands. He’s someone who is a loyal lieutenant but later his jealous boss, consumed by jealously, starts doubting his character. The look of utter bewilderment and grief at the film’s bloodied ending shows his calibre as an actor.