Vivek Oberoi again spoke about his claim that Bollywood lobbies blocked his career after the 2003 controversy involving Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai. He said producers avoided him even after strong work in Omkara and Shootout at Lokhandwala. Many praised him privately but refused to cast him, leaving him confused and depressed.
His career graph, however, tells a different story. Vivek continued to appear in mainstream films after the controversy. His roles in Kaal, Omkara, Krrish 3, Rakta Charitra, Kurbaan, and Grand Masti show that he remained part of major projects.
This raises a clear question. How much of his uneven journey actually stems from industry politics, and how much from choices, timing, or box-office outcomes? Blaming a single episode oversimplifies a long and varied career.
The initial fallout created friction, but repeating the same story for decades limits the larger picture. Vivek now says OTT reduced the power of lobbies. With that shift, it makes sense to view his career as the result of many factors, not one incident.
