An old video of actor Vivek Oberoi complimenting the Bishnoi community has resurfaced on social media amid the ongoing issue surrounding mobster Lawrence Bishnoi and Bollywood star Salman Khan. The footage was taken during an event in February of last year in Dubai.
In the resurfaced video now doing the rounds on social media, Vivek can be heard saying in Hindi, “Try looking up the Bishnoi community on Google. You won’t find a scene like that across the world. In every household, including mine, we feed cow’s milk to kids. There’s only one community in the whole world – the Bishnoi community – where if a fawn’s mother dies, the Bishnoi mothers take it in their laps and feed them milk like they feed their kids. You won’t find this anywhere else in the world.”
People on social media can see the irony of it. “Dushman Ka Dushman Lawrence Ka Dost (An enemy of his enemy is Lawrence’s friend),” wrote a person. “He’s taking his revenge,” wrote another. A person comment, “He’s adding fuel to the fire.”
The murder of former Maharashtra minister and NCP politician Baba Siddique, who was believed to be close to the Bollywood actor, by three attackers in Mumbai last week has brought attention to Lawrence Bishnoi’s intense animosity for Salman even while he is incarcerated.
The Mumbai Police suspects Siddique was killed at the behest of Bishnoi after a purported Facebook post surfaced claiming “Jo Salman Khan aur Dawood gang ki help karega apna hisab-kitab laga ke rakhna (whoever helps Salman Khan and the Dawood Ibrahim gang, keep your accounts in order).” The comments were posted by one Shubuu Lonkar, whom the police suspect to be Bishnoi gang aide Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar.
Lawrence’s feud with Salman began in 1998 when the actor’s notorious blackbuck poaching case occurred in Rajasthan while Hum Saath-Saath Hain was being filmed, which infuriated the Bishnoi community, who revers the animal. Salman and Vivek have also been embroiled in a public dispute. He said that Salman had threatened him at a news conference in 2003.
Regarding his professional life, Vivek most recently appeared in Prime Video India’s Indian Police Force, a police procedural series starring Rohit Shetty, earlier this year. Meanwhile, Salman is busy shooting for reality show Bigg Boss 18 and his next film, Sikandar.
Vivek’s own, unfriendly relationship with Salman Khan is the reason the video is becoming more popular. Vivek had accused Salman of threatening him during a 2003 news appearance due to his friendship with Aishwarya Rai, who had a tumultuous breakup with Salman.
Twenty years after his notorious press appearance, Vivek Oberoi discussed it in an interview in 2023 on the abuse and lobbying he encountered. He said, “In hindsight, I went through a lot of stuff that was unnecessary. A lot of lobbies, a lot of repressive stories.”
