12 Years, 0 Hits, ₹1,200 Crores—A Script Bollywood Didn’t See Coming

In a story that defies the glitz-and-glam expectations of Bollywood, actor Vivek Oberoi has quietly built a staggering ₹1,200 crore fortune—not through box office blockbusters, but through bold business moves and real estate savvy.

 

After being once positioned as the next big thing with hits like Company and Saathiya, Vivek's film run fell apart after 2013's Krrish 3. His most recent film, Kesari Veer: Legend of Somnath (May 2025), starring Suniel Shetty and Sooraj Pancholi along with him, flopped at the box office with a poor collection of only ₹1.53 crore on a staggering ₹50 crore budget2.

 

Behind the curtains, however, Vivek was scripting a different success story.

 

From Silver Screen to Skyline

After being turned down by Bollywood again and again, Vivek turned to entrepreneurship around 2009. He relocated to Dubai during the COVID-19 pandemic and founded BNW Real Estate Developments, a luxury real estate firm which today forms the foundation of his wealth.

 

His business acumen, however, was no accident. Vivek credits his father, veteran actor Suresh Oberoi, for instilling financial independence early on. “I’m rich, you’re not,” his father once told him—a mantra that pushed Vivek to raise $3 million for his first company by age 19.

 

Today, his portfolio includes:

The Bigger Picture

Vivek's tale is a masterclass in transformation. While his foray into acting may have run its course, his entrepreneurial passion has only grown stronger. In his own words: "I didn't want a lobby to control my future. I wanted economic independence."

 

And he's succeeded—without a single blockbuster in over a decade.

 

Sources: IndiaTimes, DNA India, Times of India