Vivek Oberoi firmly believed that he would engage in nothing more than casual relationships throughout his life. All it took to change that was a single date with his soulmate, Priyanka Alva.
Vivek Oberoi had girls everywhere swooning when he graced our screens as ‘Aditya Sehgal’ in the timeless love story, Saathiya (2002). However, despite his passionate side shining on screen, Vivek himself seemed disinterested in making a serious commitment or settling down. That is until he laid eyes on Priyanka Alva, the woman who would become his partner in crime for life. Their love story is so unexpected that it seems like a plot written for a Bollywood blockbuster!
Vivek has always been brutally honest about his unlucky experiences in love and how they moulded his beliefs. During college, Vivek was majorly focused on his academics, his new business venture, and the stock market. Also, a tragic experience had left him afraid to open his heart to anyone. He told the Hindustan Times:
“My childhood sweetheart died of cancer. I didn’t want to go through more heartbreak, and I decided that only casual relationships work for me.”
Vivek was met with another heartbreak when he fell in love with Aishwarya Rai. The relationship didn’t remain blissful for long, and the couple split in 2003. While neither has ever directly commented on the reason behind their decision, many believe it might have something to do with Salman Khan. For the unversed, Aishwariya had a very public breakup with Salman not long before she started dating Vivek. Speaking about the culmination of such experiences, Vivek told Pinkvilla:
“My experience in love at that point was one where I felt very let down, I felt undervalued. I felt that what I had done and what I had given in my relationship versus just the respect just the acknowledgement of that was missing. And that made me very cynical and very bitter. So, I didn’t want to be in love with anybody anymore. I just wanted to have flings.”
Vivek Oberoi opened up to Humans of Bombay about how his mother had been pestering him to find a wife. He recounted a time when he spotted her looking at a picture of a girl and casually commented that she was pretty. This led to the two making a pact. Vivek was to meet this one girl, and if things didn’t work out, his mother would never bring up the issue again.
The first meeting involved Vivek flying out to Florence, Italy where Priyanka was holidaying at that time. Allegedly, Vivek was on a mission to quash any little interest Priyanka might have in him. And he was so confident he would succeed, that he had even booked a flight back to Mumbai the very same day. However, Vivek was so enamoured by Priyanka that not only did he miss that flight, but he also stayed back for another two or three days. Explaining the same, he stated:
“I just didn’t want to leave. I was flat in love with her in like the first 2 hours. It was like love at first sight.”
Vivek has often gushed about the many reasons he was immediately captivated by Priyanka. However, what seemingly first caught his attention was her confidence and simplicity. He told Humans of Bombay:
“I was in a cafe, and I saw this girl walking in towards me. The first thing I noticed was that she was wearing flat chappals, simple linen pants, simple top, her hair tied up loosely with that stick and no make up. I was like ‘Waah confidence ki daad deni padegi’.”
Vivek revealed that the cafe date went so well that they decided to prolong it with a walk down the river. In the midst of the conversation, Priyanka asked him to tell her about himself. Vivek’s response was straightforward, that he was an actor and any other information worth knowing was on Google. However, Priyanka wowed him yet again with a thought-provoking question. Recalling the same, he said:
“She said, ‘That’s just what you do. Tell me who you are.’ I was like ‘Oh my god, this just got real’ and it made me pause and think because that’s something not many times in life somebody will ask you. You are not used to the question, so you are not used to thinking of the answer.”
Vivek, who was mesmerised by Priyanka immediately, pulled out all the stops to impress her. The star surprised her by showing up in a convertible the next morning. During the long drive, Vivek courteously said that he would leave the final decision to Priyanka. However, he also boldy declared that it would be to her and no one else if he were to get married. The rest is history.
The duo celebrated their nuptials in a traditional South-Indian wedding on October 29, 2010. The extravagant affair took place in Bangalore and was attended by a cohort of Bollywood stars and political party members. Vivek and Priyanka now have two adorable children, Vivaan Veer and Ameyaa Nirvana.
What do you think about the once-cynical Vivek Oberoi’s unexpected love story with Priyanka Alva?
Also Read: Vivek Oberoi Reveals He Was Into Casual Dating As He Didn't Want More Heartbreaks, 'Never Cheated..'