I give you Vivek Oberoi! Suresh Oberoi on his talented son

Suresh Oberoi is a proud father today.

His son Vivek stormed the industry with an impressive portrayal of an underworld don in Ram Gopal Varma's Company.

Oberoi Sr couldn't be more pleased. Vivek has some prestigious offers in hand and was even hailed a star before his first film was released. But for Suresh, his son will always remain a son, not a star, he tells Arti R:

When Vivek and Meghna were kids, I was both their mother and father. Most kids scream, 'Mom!' when they fall down or vomit. My kids would call out for me, because I would clean up after them. Their mother often passed out if she saw them vomit or hurt.

I never egged my kids to come first in class. Vivek would call me from Mayo School (Ajmer), and ask which rank I would like him to get. I would say 'Beta, come 13 or 14th'. But I made sure he participated in all the sports competitions and extracurricular activities in college.

No matter how busy I was, I would travel every year to Ajmer for their Parent Teacher Association meets, annual days and any occasion that was important to them.

I taught my children to be independent. I made Vivek fly down to Chennai alone at the age of two-and-a-half. The airhostess was worried, but I told her that he would not glance back at me even once. He didn't.

I wanted my children to be tough, so I was a very strict parent. Vivek would hate eating palak (spinach) but I would make him sit at the table till he finished it. They couldn't get away with tantrums. Many star kids go to school in their fathers' car. But my kids have travelled in school buses and local trains and buses.

My son is a self-taught man and I am very proud of that. He learnt everything from scratch --- acting, dancing or voice modulation. Namit Kishore's acting classes polished his talent. He would stand behind dance troupes and learn how to dance. He dubbed for Lila Ghosh for the Hindi version of the television soap Bold And The Beautiful just to learn more about voice modulation.

Many say Vivek had a very unconventional launch. But then, I have always been unconventional. If Vivek wants to do negative roles or has been launched in an unconventional way, I am glad that he is treading a different path. Since I don't think he will be doing more than three films a year, it will be good to have a different role in each film. I don't want him to be repetitive or burn out as an actor.

Vivek's strengths are his clarity, talent and honesty. He is very hard-working and focused. I have a lot of faith in Vivek's acting abilities. I told Ramu's (Ram Gopal Varma), "My son is a terrific actor. If you don't believe me, just give me ten minutes and watch this tape."

Vivek never consulted me before walking into Ramu's office dressed as Chandu Nagre (of Company). He didn't discuss getting into the character the way he did by wearing makeup, shirt, beedi etc. But I know he did a lot of homework.

He took a small camera and lived in the chawls to get a feel of their lifestyle --- how they smoked beedis, the way they drink tea. That helped.

My most emotional moment was when Ramu signed Vivek. We had gone to his office and Ramu wanted to come home in his car. I was so excited that I forgot that I had left my wallet and mobile phone in my car. Suddenly, Ramu asked me for ten rupees. It was Vivek's signing amount!

I dashed to the drawing room; nobody had any money with them. Meghna and Yashodhra [my wife] thought I had lost it. I was so excited.

The premiere also had its own story. (Actor) Raza Murad, a close colleague, said, "What Vivek has done in his debut film, I haven't been able to do in 400!" Both of us had tears in our eyes. Boney Kapoor [producer of Company] told me with folded hands, "He is such a fine actor. Thanks for giving the industry Vivek Oberoi!"

The night was full of compliments. The best one was from Amitji [Amitabh Bachchan] who is his quiet style did a thumbs up, patted my back and said, "Good job. Keep it up."

I was thrilled. I told him that Vivek did not compare to his work in Zanjeer. But Amitji, in all humility said, "Vivek deserves every bit of attention and applause. He is fantastic!"

(Industrialist) Anil Ambani complimented Vivek and me by saying, "I think your son is a fine actor and I must congratulate both of you on his performance. It is the parents who deserve applause because they laid the steps for their children's dreams."

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