One would now be known by work, not father’s name: Oberoi

NAGPUR: Actor Vivek Oberoi on Monday said India has changed a lot in the last five years and now a person will be known by his work rather than the family legacy. He was speaking at the launch of a poster of ‘PM Narendra Modi’, a biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in which he plays the lead role, by Union minister Nitin Gadkari here.

The film is slated to release in 40 countries this Friday, he said. Oberoi said he was fortunate to get an opportunity to play a “great personality” (Modi) in the film and happy that its poster was launched by senior BJP leader Gadkari. “Both are ‘karmayogis’ and heroes in real sense. India has changed a lot in the last five years. I think ‘ab aapke baap ka naam nahi…kaam chalega’ (now a person will be known by his work instead of the father’s name),” he said. Oberoi said he faced lot of troubles in securing the biopic’s release, “but they could neither stop the film nor Prime Minister Modi”.

“I don’t know what they were scared of – the film or the chowkidaar’s stick? People who have big cases against them and don’t appear in court dragged us to court. People who are infamous for taking ‘commission’ dragged us to the Election Commission,” he said, without taking any names. “23 tarik aa rahi hai…inka time aayega…yehi kehna chahunga shehzaadeji (apparently referring to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi)…ab hoga nyay (the date of Lok Sabha polls result is nearing…now justice will be done),” he said.

To a query, he rued lack of support from the film industry towards his movie. “There should be efforts to bring about unity, otherwise we will remain a soft target,” he said. The film’s producer, Sandeep Singh, said he also wanted to make a biopic on Gadkari, but the leader was not keen on it.

On the film’s tagline ‘Ab koi nahi rok sakta’ mentioned on its poster, he expressed confidence that the BJP will once again come to power under Modi’s leadership. On the occasion, Gadkari said the movie will inspire and motivate the young generation.

“Modiji has brought recognition and respect to India across the world. Things which did not happen in the last 50 years happened in last five years,” he said, listing the NDA government’s various developmental works.PTI