Vivek Oberoi says he was 'being offered astronomical sums of money' even before making acting debut

Actor Vivek Oberoi has said that he was being offered 'astronomical sums of money for movies' even before he had made his Bollywood debut with Ram Gopal Varma's Company.

Actor Vivek Oberoi has reminisced about his film debut, Company, as it completes 19 years. The actor said that the industry was so impressed with his performances, he began signing films for 'astronomical sums of money' even before Company had released.

Vivek Oberoi in a still from Company. (YouTube)

In an interview, he said that he was initially rejected for the role of a gangster, because director Ram Gopal Varma thought that he was too 'polished' to play the part. But the actor wanted to convince RGV to cast him, and so he decided to spent three weeks in a slum.

"Even before the film released, I was already signing movies, was being offered astronomical sums of money for movies. So it was all a very good feeling," he told a leading daily, remembering the days leading up to the film's release. Recalling how billboards with his face were being put up in Mumbai, he said, "It was a big moment in my life, looking at the billboards. I had already started feeling like a bit of a star because RGV treated me like a star on day one."

To get into the skin of his character, Vivek said that he 'went and lived in a slum for about three weeks'. He continued, "I actually rented a ‘kholi’, lived in the slum, learnt the mannerisms, the language, and did full-on prep for the role."

After Company, the actor appeared in films such as Saathiya, Yuva, Masti, Omkara, and Shootout at Lokhandwala. He also appears on the Amazon Prime Video series Inside Edge, and starred in the PM Narendra Modi biopic.