Vivek Oberoi Recalls Saathiya: Ram Gopal Varma`s Disapproval, Filming On Zero Budget, And More

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FEBRUARY 26,2024

Vivek Oberoi revealed many interesting facts about his life and career in a recent interview with Humans of Bombay. He talked about his experience working in the 2002 romantic film 'Saathiya', which also starred Rani Mukherji. The film was a remake of Mani Ratnam's 'Alaipayuthey', a Tamil hit.

However, not everyone was happy with Vivek Oberoi's decision to take up the role in Saathiya. Recalling his strugglesome days, the actor revealed Ram Gopal Verma had almost zero budget and how he slept in public places.

How Vivek Defied His Mentor, Ram Gopal Varma

When Vivek decided to take up the lead role in the 2002 romantic movie, his mentor, Ram Gopal Varma, was against this decision. Vivek had achieved overnight fame due to the release of his debut films, and appearing in a romance movie could've adversely affected his growth trajectory.

While explaining this, Vivek recalled, "Everybody said, Don't do Saathiya. 'You are an action hero. How can you do a love story?' But that wasn't the film. My mentor, Ram Gopal Varma, was furious. He said, 'No, don't do this film.' I was like, Better than taking permission, I will ask for forgiveness."

What Made Vivek Change His Mind to Work on Saathiya?

Saathiya's director, Shaad Ali, was Vivek's school friend. Initially, Vivek refused to star in the film as he was working on his debut film. However, after watching Mani Ratnam's 'Alaipayuthey,' the Tamil film from which Saathiya was inspired, Vivek was so touched that he decided to take up the role in Saathiya, despite his mentor's disapproval.

Vivek recalled, "I watched it, and I am bawling at the end of it, sitting in Shaadu's house. I am crying, I'm emotional, I can't talk, I'm choked with the emotion of the film. I said, I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I have to do this film."

Vivek Oberoi on Filming 'Saathiya' on No Budget

The Yuva actor particularly remembered that the Yash Raj Film Saathiya was low on budget. This led the actor to face many challenges, like utilising public spaces for sleeping between shoots or using public restrooms to change.

Vivek Oberoi further shared: "When I was shooting for 'Saathiya', 'Company' hadn't released. I was shooting on railway stations I used to be sleeping on the benches because we had no budget. I used to change clothes in restaurant toilets because I didn't have a makeup van."

"We had to shoot four scenes in a day. We were shooting for 18 to 20 hours a day. There was a time when I was carrying equipment I had gone back to my assistant days after my debut," he concluded.