When Vivek Oberoi spoke about his conflict with Salman Khan: 'People who had a lot of power in Bollywood...'

Vivek Oberoi and Salman Khan's rift started in 2003.

Vivek Oberoi, recognized for his versatility—from his charming lover-boy in Saathiya to the hardened gang member in Omkara—emerges as one of Bollywood's most adaptable actors, who has faced his own set of challenges along the way.

A clip from Vivek's interview at the India Global Forum in London, which was shared by Brut India a few months back, features the actor reflecting on his experiences of feeling like a 'victim.'

Talking about how his career took a hit after getting success during the initial years, he said, "I got a lot of success, I was winning a lot of awards in my career and suddenly it evaporated because a bunch of people, who had a lot of power in Bollywood, decided 'You are not going to work here anymore, we will make sure that happens'. I experienced a lot of frustration and pain and anger and felt like a victim; and I didn't know how to deal with it."

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However, his mother has always been his pillar of strength and role model, offering guidance that helped him navigate through his challenges. "My mom is somebody I really look up to. She's my hero. And she said 'Put your attention into being a hero to someone else and you will feel like a hero, you will feel like a winner'... the only way you can transition from being a victim to being hero is by being a hero to someone. So you start finding that someone that you can be a hero to," he added.

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Vivek Oberoi candidly opened up during an interview with Hindustan Times in 2023 about the lobbying and bullying he experienced, two decades after his infamous press conference. He reflected, “Looking back, I endured a lot of unnecessary challenges. There were many lobbies and numerous repressive narratives.”

The rift between Vivek and Salman all began back in 2003, at a press conference when Vivek accused Salman of making threats against him due to his relationship with Aishwarya Rai, who had a tumultuous breakup with Salman.

Aishwarya and Vivek reportedly dated for several years, but broke up and settled down with other people. While Aishwarya later married Abhishek Bachchan in April 2007 and welcomed their daughter, Aaradhya, in 2011. Vivek is married to Priyanka Alva, with whom he has a son and a daughter.