Director Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s much-awaited movie, Spirit, has onboarded Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi. The action drama has Prabhas as the male lead while Triptii Dimri will star as the heroine. Veteran actress Kanchana, 86, will also join the cast.

Sharing his excitement on social media, Vivek said he was “super kicked” to be part of the ambitious project.

“Super kicked about bringing this action to life with your unmatched magic,” Vivek Oberoi wrote while referring to Prabhas. The Rebel Star turned 46 on October 23.

While it is unclear which role Vivek Oberoi will play in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s next, there is speculation that he will play the villain in the movie. This will be the first time Vivek Oberoi and Prabhas will act together in a movie.

Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s lucky charm

“It seems Sandeep has a lot of respect for you & your dad as he has cast Sureshji in his last 2 films & now you are in this!” wrote one user.

Suresh Oberoi, Vivek’s father, is a veteran Bollywood actor who acted in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s earlier films, Kabir Singh (2019) and Animal (2023).

According to media reports, he is also likely to star in Spirit. Sandeep Reddy Vanga apparently considers Suresh Oberoi his “lucky charm”.

“I’m so thankful to Sandeep for insisting he be part of Animal, he called dad his lucky charm since Kabir Singh and also asked him to be part of his next film,” Vivek told TOI in January 2024.

Another social media user wrote, “I’m so happy for Vivek bhai, man! I hope this is a bigger comeback than Bobby sir.”

Bobby Deol’s portrayal of Abrar Haque, the lead antagonist in Animal, became immensely popular. Fans and critics hailed Bobby Deol as the deaf and mute villain.

Vivek Oberoi in South Indian films

Vivek Oberoi has appeared in several South Indian films, mostly playing negative roles. In Telugu cinema, he made his debut with Rakta Charitra I & II (2010), directed by Ram Gopal Varma, who also directed Oberoi’s debut Bollywood movie, Company (2002).

Oberoi portrayed gangster Kattula Pratap Ravi in Rakta Charitra. The actor later played the villain Raja Bhai in Vinaya Vidheya Rama (2019).

In Malayalam films, Vivek Oberoi made a strong mark as Bobby Nair in Lucifer (2019) opposite Mohanlal and as IG Joseph Chandy in Kaduva (2022). His Tamil debut was Vivegam (2017) with Ajith Kumar. In Kannada, he played DCP Bharath Raj in Rustum (2019).