The most unbelievable gossip behind the negative role of ‘Mukesh Mehra’ in the film Om Shanti Om, which makes you astonished. Imagine if actor Vivek Oberoi had played the villain Mukesh Mehra in Om Shanti Om. It was almost finalised, but he rejected the role, and eventually Arjun Rampal was cast. The 2007 film became iconic for many reasons, launching Deepika Padukone’s career, featuring several celebrity cameos, and leaving a big impact on the industry.
Farah Khan Struggled to Find an Actor for the Villain Role of ‘Mukesh Mehra’
One of Bollywood’s most memorable villains is ‘Mukesh Mehra’. On the outside, he looked like a perfect gentleman, but in reality, he was far from it. For the audience, seeing a villain like him on screen was a completely new experience. But director Farah Khan shared that finding the right actor for this tough and cruel role was not easy at all.
In an interview, she openly shared that many actors had turned down the role. By December 31, 2006, the film still didn’t have a villain, even though shooting was supposed to begin on January 6, 2007. Farah told The Times of India the reason behind this struggle. “Casting for the role of Mukesh Mehra was the most difficult as it was a completely negative role, there was nothing positive about him.”
Farah Khan Shares Her Vision of the Ideal ‘Mukesh Mehra’
Mukesh Mehra’s smart style, with his sharp suits and thin moustache, became quite memorable. But the team also wanted him to look a certain way. While talking to Komal Nahata, Farah said she wanted Deepika’s love interest to be a handsome man, and Shah Rukh agreed with her. “He can’t be Prakash Raj. He has to look like a hero.”
The time of the usual villains, who looked as scary as they acted, was over. Farah wanted to bring in a new kind of antagonist, someone whose good looks hid their cunning nature. Explaining more about the team’s idea of the perfect ‘Mukesh Mehra,’ she told The Times of India: “We were looking for someone conventionally good-looking and probably even better-looking than Shah Rukh Khan.”
Vivek Oberoi’s Rejection of the Antagonist Role in Om Shanti Om
Farah once admitted that Arjun Rampal was not her first choice for the villain’s role, but she never revealed the names of the actors who turned it down. According to a Huffington Post report, Vivek Oberoi was offered the role before Arjun, but he refused because he had already played a negative character in Company. Around the same time, Vivek got Shootout at Lokhandwala and chose to act in that film instead.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, someone asked Vivek why he turned down Om Shanti Om, even though it could have been a big boost to his career. Vivek replied politely, saying that once a decision is made, he prefers to move forward instead of looking back. “You can’t go back and change those decisions. So you learn what you learn from that and you move forward. And you make the right decisions when you go forward.”