actor entrepreneur Vivek OberoiWith an estimated net worth of around Rs 1,200 crore, he spoke about the setbacks that forced him to reinvent himself outside of acting, saying when opportunities dried up, he refused to be a “victim” and instead chose to take charge of his own destiny.Speaking to News18, Vivek reflected on leadership, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and the life lessons that have shaped his journey, saying success and failure are temporary, but goals and values are long-lasting.
“I had to go from victim to victor”
Recalling the difficult phase of his career, Vivek said circumstances beyond his control left him with no option but to reinvent himself.“When your life encounters challenges and circumstances beyond your control begin to open up to you, you have two options. You may become miserable, frustrated, and depressed. Or you can reinvent yourself,” he said.The actor explained that he made a conscious choice to no longer see himself as a victim.“I always believed I had to go from victim to victor. I asked myself, ‘How can I take control of my destiny?’ If a road is blocked, what else can I do? I still have my mind, my efforts, and my God-given identity.”He shared the motto that guided him through his transition, adding: “Every day, in every aspect, I want to get better and better.”
“Leaders create contributors, not employees”
Vivek, who has also started his own business alongside his acting career, said leadership is defined by being able to bring people together, not just manage them.“A leader is someone who takes people on a journey. That’s the biggest difference between a boss and a leader. Bosses take away jobs. Leaders make people feel like contributors and partners in a shared mission,” he said.Citing the example of Ankur Aggarwal, a business partner at BNW Developments, Vivek recalled how Agarwal rebuilt his life after suffering a financial loss of over Rs 100 crore.“He never gave up. He said, ‘Let’s build something together.’ I kept telling him that he had the qualities of a founder and a leader.”Vivek also revealed that during a recent business crisis, they decided not to lay off employees despite facing financial pressures.“During the recent crisis, when many companies laid off employees to protect their balance sheets, we decided to do our best not to lay off a single employee. Hard times affect everyone, not just business owners. This is what leadership means to me. “
“I’m just a courier”
Despite his film and commercial success, Vivek said philanthropy remains the most fulfilling part of his life as he sees himself as just a vehicle to help others.“I don’t believe I did anything extraordinary. I was just lucky that a higher power chose me as a medium. These good deeds do not belong to me. I was just a courier. These blessings were meant to be delivered to someone, and I happened to deliver them,” he said.
Mother changes her perspective on success
The actor admits that early fame warped his perspective, before his mother changed the way he looked at life.“Early success can be deceptive. When applause comes at a young age, the echo of the applause stays with you even when people stop applauding. That’s when you start asking: ‘Why me?’ whenever life gets difficult.”He remembers breaking down in front of his mother, who answered a question that forever changed his perspective.“She said, ‘When you gain fame, awards, money and recognition at such a young age, do you ever ask, ‘Why me?’ That question changed everything.”His mother then took him to the pediatric cancer ward at Tata Memorial Hospital, where seeing children undergoing chemotherapy taught him gratitude and inspired his long-term commitment to helping children fight cancer.“I just sat with the kids and read them storybooks and tried to make them smile. That smile gave me more energy than anything else. That’s when I decided I wanted to work on helping children with cancer.”
“She is a living award”
In one of the moments that touched his heart the most, Vivek talked about meeting an eight-month-old baby named Sahara while shooting for Satya. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and her family could not afford treatment.With support from doctors and charities, Sahara recovered and is now a healthy young woman.“To me, she is a living award. Those moments mean so much more than a trophy, a resume or a number on my bank account.”
“Don’t live in success or failure”
When asked what legacy he wants to leave behind, Vivek said he doesn’t want to be remembered for his fame.“Honestly, I have no hope that people will always remember me as myself. Life is like an examination room. Once you have written your paper, the results will come later. What matters is what you do here. “Instead, he hopes to pass on values to his children, including a simple principle inspired by his own mother: “Whenever you’re not sure about something, ask yourself: ‘What would mom say?'”Vivek ended the conversation with advice for young people to deal with failure and shared a lesson learned from his father.“He said: ‘Don’t live in success. Don’t live in failure. Keep working.’ Success is not permanent. Failure is not permanent. Don’t panic when the times are hard. Don’t lose your mind during the good times. Listen to everyone – but in the end, follow your own path.”