Vivek Oberoi: from a “victim” to “hero”

Brut India

3 Jul 202403:17

Summary

TLDRThe speaker recounts a career in Bollywood abruptly halted by powerful industry figures, leading to feelings of victimhood. Inspired by their mother's advice, they transitioned from victim to hero by founding Project Davi, aimed at rescuing and empowering young girls. The initiative has impacted 15,000 girls, providing education and healthcare, and challenging gender inequality in rural areas. The speaker emphasizes the importance of girls believing in themselves and the transformative power of education, as they aspire to uplift their communities.

Takeaways

🏆 The speaker experienced a sudden end to their successful career in Bollywood due to powerful individuals' decisions.
💔 They felt intense frustration, pain, and anger, and initially saw themselves as a victim in the situation.
👩 The speaker's mother, a significant role model, advised them to find a way to be a hero to someone else as a means to transition from feeling like a victim.
🔍 The speaker discovered an opportunity to help and started Project D, initially aimed at rescuing and rehabilitating girls.
🌟 Project D has since empowered 15,000 girls, providing them with free food, education, healthcare, and the ability to think differently.
🚫 The rescued girls were at risk of being sold and exploited, with the oldest being 13 and the youngest only five years old.
🌱 The project has had a significant impact in villages, where traditionally boys are favored over girls, by enabling girls to go to college and pursue higher education.
💪 The girls who have been helped aspire to return to their villages and help more girls like themselves, demonstrating a strong sense of community and giving back.
👧 The speaker notes a desire among the girls to not just emulate their mothers but to break the cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity.
💰 The speaker believes in the importance of equitable wealth distribution between men and women as a means to achieve equitable power distribution.
🤰 The speaker acknowledges the unique strength of women, such as giving birth, but emphasizes the need for power to be correlated with wealth, not just physical strength.

Q & A

What significant change occurred in the speaker's career?
-The speaker's career underwent a sudden downturn when influential individuals in Bollywood decided to exclude them from the industry, causing their success and awards to evaporate.
How did the speaker initially feel about this career setback?
-The speaker felt a great deal of frustration, pain, and anger, and perceived themselves as a victim, unsure of how to cope with the situation.
Who did the speaker look up to for guidance during this difficult time?
-The speaker's mother, who they consider their hero, provided guidance and advice during this challenging period.
What advice did the speaker's mother give them?
-The speaker's mother advised them to shift their focus to being a hero for someone else, which would help them transition from feeling like a victim to feeling like a winner.
What project did the speaker initiate as a result of this advice?
-The speaker initiated Project Durga, which began with rescuing a group of girls and then focused on their rehabilitation and empowerment.
What does Project Durga aim to provide for the rescued girls?
-Project Durga aims to provide free food, education, healthcare, and the ability to think differently for the rescued girls, once their primary needs are taken care of.
What was the situation of the girls immediately after being rescued?
-The girls, ranging from ages five to thirteen, were at risk of being sold and dispersed across the country in inhumane conditions within 24 hours of being found.
What is the full form of 'Durga' in Project Durga?
-The full form of 'Durga' in Project Durga stands for 'Development and Empowerment of Brindavan Girls Initiative'.
How many girls has Project Durga impacted over the years?
-Project Durga has impacted over 15,000 girls, providing them with empowerment and opportunities for a better life.
What is the speaker's view on the role of women in society?
-The speaker believes that women are the conscience keepers of society and that it is important for girls to start believing in themselves.
What is the speaker's perspective on the distribution of wealth and power between men and women?
-The speaker believes in an equitable distribution of wealth between men and women, asserting that power is directly correlated to wealth, not physical strength.

Outlines

00:00

🏆 From Stardom to Struggle

The speaker reflects on a sudden fall from success and recognition in their career due to the influence of powerful individuals in Bollywood. They recount their feelings of frustration, pain, and anger, and how they initially felt like a victim. The speaker's mother, a significant role model, advised them to shift their focus to becoming a hero for someone else, which led to the conception of Project Dy. This project began with rescuing girls and evolved into a comprehensive rehabilitation and empowerment initiative, providing free food, education, and healthcare, and fostering a new way of thinking for the rescued individuals.

🌟 Empowerment Through Project Dy

Project Dy, named after the Hindu goddess of learning, is an initiative aimed at the development and empowerment of girls from Brindavan. The project has had a significant impact, reaching over 15,000 girls and challenging societal norms that favor boys over girls in rural areas. The speaker highlights the success stories of girls who, despite their backgrounds, are now attending college and international universities. These girls aspire to return to their villages and help others like themselves, embodying the idea that women are the conscience keepers of society. The speaker also discusses the importance of self-belief and the transformative journey of these girls, who now have different aspirations than their mothers.

💪 The Power of Equitable Distribution

The speaker concludes with a discussion on the importance of equitable distribution of wealth and power between men and women. They argue that power is directly correlated to wealth, emphasizing the need for a shift in societal structures that traditionally favor men. The speaker's perspective is that empowering women and girls is not just about providing opportunities but also about changing societal perceptions and the distribution of resources, which ultimately leads to a more balanced and just society.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Awards

Awards are symbolic tokens of recognition given for excellence or outstanding achievement in a particular field. In the context of the video, the speaker mentions winning a lot of awards in their career, indicating a period of success and acknowledgment in Bollywood. The sudden evaporation of these awards signifies a dramatic shift in their professional life.

💡Power

Power, in this video, refers to the influence or authority that certain individuals hold within the Bollywood industry. It is depicted as a force that can negatively impact someone's career, as it did with the speaker who was told they would no longer work in the industry. Power is also discussed in relation to gender, suggesting that an equitable distribution of power between men and women is essential for societal balance.

💡Victim

The term 'victim' is used to describe the speaker's initial emotional state after facing professional setbacks. Feeling like a victim implies a sense of helplessness and being adversely affected by the actions of others. The speaker's mother encourages them to transition from feeling like a victim to becoming a hero by helping others.

💡Hero

A hero, in the video, is someone who takes action to help and empower others. The speaker's mother suggests that shifting focus from oneself to being a hero for someone else can alleviate feelings of victimhood. This concept is central to the speaker's journey from personal struggle to social activism.

💡Project Durga

Project Durga is an initiative mentioned in the script that focuses on rescuing and rehabilitating girls who are at risk of being trafficked or exploited. It represents a turning point in the speaker's life, transitioning from personal challenges to becoming a hero for these girls by providing them with essential needs and opportunities for empowerment.

💡Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation refers to the process of restoring someone to a normal life after a disruptive event. In the context of the video, it is part of Project Durga's mission to not only rescue girls but also to provide them with the means to reintegrate into society through education, healthcare, and support.

💡Empowerment

Empowerment in the video is about giving individuals the ability to make choices and take control of their lives. For the rescued girls, empowerment comes in the form of free food, education, healthcare, and the freedom to think and dream beyond their immediate circumstances.

💡Inhuman Conditions

The phrase 'inhuman conditions' is used to describe the appalling situations the girls would have faced had they not been rescued. It evokes a sense of the extreme suffering and dehumanizing treatment they were at risk of experiencing, emphasizing the urgency and importance of the rescue efforts.

💡Development

Development, in the full form of 'Development and Empowerment of Brindavan Girls Initiative,' is the overarching goal of Project Durga. It signifies a holistic approach to improving the lives of the girls, focusing not just on immediate rescue but also on long-term growth and self-sufficiency.

💡Conscience Keepers

The term 'conscience keepers' is used to highlight the role of women in society, suggesting that they have a unique capacity to influence moral and ethical standards. The speaker believes that empowering women, such as through education and opportunities, can have a profound impact on the broader community.

💡Wealth Distribution

Wealth distribution is discussed in the video as a means to achieve gender equality, with the speaker arguing that an equitable distribution of wealth between men and women is directly linked to power. This concept underscores the importance of economic independence and its role in empowering individuals and communities.

Highlights

The speaker experienced a sudden loss of career opportunities due to influential individuals in Bollywood.

The speaker felt like a victim and struggled with emotions of frustration, pain, and anger.

The speaker's mother advised focusing on being a hero to someone else as a way to transition from victimhood.

Project Durga was initiated, starting with rescuing and rehabilitating girls, emphasizing empowerment.

Empowerment involves providing free food, education, healthcare, and fostering the ability to think differently.

The rescued girls were at risk of being sold and treated inhumanely if not for Project Durga.

The project has impacted over 15,000 girls, offering them opportunities for education and empowerment.

In villages where boys are prioritized, the project has enabled girls to attend college and international universities.

The girls aspire to return to their villages and help others like themselves once they are successful.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of girls believing in themselves and breaking the cycle of poverty.

The speaker's daughter aspires to be like her mother, unlike the girls in the project who want to avoid their mothers' fate.

The speaker believes in the equitable distribution of wealth and power between men and women.

The speaker highlights the correlation between wealth distribution and the empowerment of women.

Project Durga aims to change the skewed gender dynamics in villages by prioritizing girls' education.

The project's success is measured by the girls' desire to uplift their communities after achieving success.

The speaker's personal journey from victim to hero is intertwined with the empowerment of the girls through Project Durga.

The project's full form, Development and Empowerment of Brindavan Girls Initiative, reflects its comprehensive approach.