Joy of helping poor bigger than any award: Vivek Oberoi (Interview)

Mar 13,2014

New Delhi, (IANS) In a film career spanning a decade, Vivek Oberoi has essayed diverse roles and tasted both successes and failures on the big screen, but he says the joy of social work and supporting charitable causes for others' happiness is far more fulfilling an award or reward for him.

"Acting in movies is my passion, but the kind of human satisfaction and meaningfulness that comes into my life by helping others, wiping away tears and trying to bring a smile to someone else's face is exceptional...that joy is more fulfilling that any award or reward I have ever got," the 37-year-old told IANS in an interview.

Over the years, Vivek has involved himself in several philanthropic causes, leveraging his celebrity status for social uplift, a la Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan and Aamir Khan.

Vivek helped rebuild a village, which was hit severely by the 2004 tsunami in Tamil Nadu. In fact, he was in Chennai when the disaster struck and he assembled six truckloads of relief supplies. Later, he also adopted a tsunami-ravaged village in the state's Cuddalore district.

The actor also runs a school at Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh. Named Project Devi, the facility caters to underprivileged girls abandoned by their families. He often goes there to check on their progress.

Son of veteran actor Suresh Oberoi, Vivek thanks his family for sensitizing him to the idea of "helping others" and supporting charity.

"My family has always been associated with social cause. My mother has worked for over three decades for cancer patients. My father has always been inclined towards education of slum children.

"So, I was inspired by these initiatives of my parents. I think that's the culture at home that I imbibed and with their blessing, I am taking it to the next level," he said.

The actor recently added another feather to his cap by lending a helping hand to S.H.E. - Support Her Education - a campaign launched by beauty brand The Body Shop.

The campaign, also backed by Food for Life Vrindavan (FFLV), aims to educate 100 girls in need, and a part of the sales proceeds from The Body Shop products will contribute towards it.

Vivek, who is father to a 13-month-old boy, believes "it's a great idea".

"I feel that women want to do a lot of stuff for the empowerment and development of underprivileged women, but they don't find the right channel and opportunities. So this association brings the best of that," he said.

Vivek made his Bollywood debut with Ram Gopal Varma's "Company" in 2002, which went on to earn rave reviews for him. He also impressed everyone as a lover boy in "Saathiya".

Since then, he has tried to maintain his variety with movies like "Shootout At Lokhandwala", "Omkara", "Kurbaan" and "Grand Masti". His portrayal as a villain in "Krrish 3" won him a lot of appreciation.

One wonders if he is looking forward to more such negative roles.

But Vivek retorted: "I don't look at film roles as negative and positive. I look at roles as exciting or boring."

"If a role excites me, I will do it...no matter if it is positive, negative or neutral," said the actor, who now wants to focus more on Vivaan Veer Oberoi, his baby with wife Priyanka Alva.

"I want to spend quality time with my family and son who barely got time to spend with me last year because of my heavy schedule," he added.

Tags:

Joy of helping poor bigger than any award: Vivek Oberoi (Interview) Vivek Oberoi in news news about Vivek Oberoi

Swara Bhasker: 'You are our beloved dictator', Swara shares unseen pictures on daughter Rabia's birthday

Sep 23,2025

Actress Swara Bhaskar and Fahad Ahmed's daughter, Raabia Rama Ahmed, turned two today. The actress wrote a sweet note wishing her a happy birthday. She also shared unseen photos from her birthday celebration. This has been your year of walking and speaking. Swara Bhaskar shared

National Film Awards: This Indian star has won the most National Awards, beating Kangana and Big B.

Sep 23,2025

The National Film Awards are one of the highest-paid awards in Indian cinema. They are organized annually by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, to encourage Indian film artists. All preparations are underway for this year's 71st National Film Awards.On Augu

Dulquer Salmaan: Customs raid at Prithviraj Sukumaran and Dulquer Salmaan's house, find out the whole story

Sep 23,2025

The Customs Department is conducting raids at several locations in Kerala, including the Kochi residences of actors Dulquer Salmaan and Prithviraj Sukumaran. According to reports, these raids are related to vehicles imported from Bhutan. The Kerala Motor Vehicles Department has also arrived.Custom

Drishaym 3: Mohanlal prepares to deliver a triple dose of suspense, a major update on 'Drishyam 3'

Sep 23,2025

Fans are extremely enthusiastic about the films of Malayalam cinema's legendary actor Mohanlal. Mohanlal, who recently won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, is set to star in the third installment of the Drishyam franchise, where he is known for his pivotal role as George Kutty.He has now geare

Bigg Boss 19 Contestant: Bigg Boss's house will become an arena, and this international player will enter Salman Khan's show!

Aug 21,2025

The new season of Bigg Boss, one of the popular reality shows of the television industry, is going to start in just three days. There is a lot of excitement among the audience about the show. Meanwhile, the most talked about contestants coming in the show is. The curiosity of who will be a part o

Priyanka Chopra: Kareena, who was the enemy in 'Aitraaz', praised Priyanka, wrote- 'Made to rule the world'

Jul 18,2025

Priyanka Chopra is celebrating her 43rd birthday today, i.e. on 18th July. On this special occasion, the actress has been congratulated by her film 'Aitraaz' co-star Kareena Kapoor in a different style. Kareena shared an old picture of an award show on Instagram Stories and wrote that Priyanka w

Vidyut Jamwal: Vidyut Jamwal is ready for his Hollywood debut, will play a strong role in this film

Jul 15,2025

Actor Vidyut Jamwal, known for his action, is now going to make his entry in a Hollywood film. He has joined the star cast of the live-action film 'Street Fighter'. It is a film based on an iconic video game franchise.Vidyut's Hollywood entryAccording to a Deadline report, Vidyut will be seen i

Vijay Deverakonda: New update on Vijay Deverakonda's film, Kingdom's new release date will be announced today

Jul 07,2025

Vijay Deverakonda has joined hands with famous director Gautam Tinnanuri for the action drama film 'Kingdom'. There is a lot of excitement about the film since its announcement. The recently released teaser has further increased the expectations of the fans. The new release date of the f