In 2003, Vivek Oberoi called a massive press conference in which he accused Salman Khan of threatening him over his relationship with Aishwarya Rai, who had earlier had a messy break-up with Salman.
In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, producer Shailendra Singh recalled being with Salman while the press conference was underway and revealed how the superstar reacted to it.
How Salman Khan reacted to Vivek Oberoi’s press conference against him
Shailendra recalled that he was with Salman, casually spending time at his apartment, when Vivek levelled the allegations during the press conference. He said, “He (Salman) was very angry. He was like, ‘What the hell?’ Earlier, he would openly show his emotions. Now, he has much more control. My only reaction to Vivek’s press conference was to tell Salman that in life, we should act, not react. Whatever needs to be done can be done later. For now, let’s sit, have a drink, and let him do whatever he’s doing.”
He added, “I asked him not to act on impulse, to wait and fight the battle silently. I think he did that. He made sure Vivek doesn’t work in Bollywood anymore. I don’t know for sure, but that’s how it looks.”
Following the infamous public feud with Salman, Vivek experienced a slump in his career. Twenty years later, in an interview with Hindustan Times, Vivek recalled facing lobbying after his 2003 press conference and said, “I know how frustrating it is; it can make one feel extremely exhausted and tired. You feel like you’ve just delivered an award-winning, commercially successful performance in Shootout at Lokhandwala, and after that, you’re sitting at home for 14 months, not getting any work. When I went through that, I kept thinking that I wanted to do something beyond this – something empowering, something that takes me beyond that.”
Salman Khan and Vivek Oberoi’s upcoming movies
Vivek is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Spirit. Helmed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film also stars Triptii Dimri and Prabhas in lead roles and is scheduled to release in theatres on March 5. Salman, on the other hand, is awaiting the release of his upcoming film Battle of Galwan. Directed by Apoorva Lakhia, the film also stars Chitrangada Singh and is slated to hit theatres on April 17.