When Vivek Oberoi made his debut with Company in 2002, he was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. However, soon after the success of Saathiya, his dream run at the box office ground to a halt. And it took him roles such as that of Kesu in Omkara and gangster Maya Dolas in Shootout at Lokhandwala to regain footing in the slippery, slimy, unforgiving world of Bollywood.

Now, though, the actor is back to doing what he does best -- emoting -- and this time, with two much-awaited movies -- Kookie Gulati's Prince and Rensil d'Silva's next, co-starring Kareena Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. "It was an absolute pleasure working with Saif and Kareena. They are both fantastic actors and fabulous human beings," says the actor, who's been linked in the past to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and which, many aver, cost him several prime roles at the peak of his career. Oberoi was in town for the inauguration of an art exhibition by Dilip Chhabria at the Tilting Art Gallery in Ishanya Mall on Friday evening.

Looking dapper in a simple yet elegantly cut black jacket teamed with denim, Oberoi held forth on his forthcoming film Prince directed by Kookie Gulati. "I am really looking forward to this film. Kookie has done a brilliant job of directing it," says the actor. It's set in Durban and revolves around the search for a rare gold coin. It also stars British actress Aruna Shields, who'll make her Bollywood debut with the film, slated for release early next year.