Vivek Oberoi said NO to Shah Rukh Khan’s Om Shanti Om, was approached to play...!

Vivek Oberoi has been in the spotlight lately - whether it’s his key role in the Ranbir Kapoor-Yash starrer Ramayana, joining Prabhas’ Spirit, stepping into Rishab Shetty’s The Pride of Bharat: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the excitement around Mahesh Babu’s Varanasi, or his recent release Mastiii 4.

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Across the years, Vivek has carved a niche with intense performances and daring character picks - from the fierce debut in Company to the tender charm of Saathiya. His antagonist streak has also shone, with Krrish 3 being a memorable milestone. Now, buzz is brewing about him taking on the role of Aurangzeb in Rishab Shetty’s upcoming epic.

The OSO Offer Few Knew About

What many might not know is that Vivek Oberoi was once approached to play Mukesh Mehra - the villain in Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan’s blockbuster Om Shanti Om. In a resurfaced interview, Vivek opened up about being offered the dark, stylish antagonist role that ultimately went to Arjun Rampal.

Why Vivek Said No?

Vivek explained that saying no to Om Shanti Om was not an easy decision but a necessary one. At that time, he was already committed to Apoorva Lakhia’s Shootout at Lokhandwala - another intense negative character that demanded complete immersion.

As he told MensXP, “Because the dates were also clashing and both were negative roles. I liked my role (in Shootout at Lokhandwala). Moreover, when Farah contacted me for the role, I had already started doing my full research for the character.”

With his prep for the gangster drama already underway, taking on another villain simultaneously would have diluted the depth he wanted to bring to the role.

He Would Have Loved to Do Both!

Despite the rejection, Vivek Oberoi clarified that he had immense respect for Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan and would have gladly been a part of the film under different conditions.

Must Read: Amitabh Bachchan couldn’t join star-studded 'Deewangi' song in SRK's Om Shanti Om for Abhishek-Aishwarya!

He shared, “If it was a different situation, I would have said yes. Why not? If I had the time to do both, I would have wanted to do Om Shanti Om. Farah has made a wonderful film. Working with Shah bhai is always amazing.”