`My social endeavours are a part of me`: Vivek Oberoi

Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi says that his welfare endeavours were much a part of him as a human being.

Bangalore: Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, whose association with social welfare causes including his work for the Tsunami victims is well-known, said his welfare endeavours were much a part of him as a human being."My social welfare endeavours are very much a part of my persona as an individual, a human being and not a projection", Oberoi told reporters here today.

"My work, whether it is for the mentally challenged or the homeless poor, is what I do with my life as a person and not what I do as an actor" unlike some others (actors), for whom it is part of enhancement of their image, he said. There is a commitment, an involvement in it "because I like doing it and I genuinely feel for the cause", he said. Oberoi said his work for the Tsunami victims in the Andamans where he stayed for three months "putting film offers on hold" and walked miles along with the Army personnel to supply relief, was not to boost his star image but because he wanted to reach out and do something for the people there, who had lost everything. Talking passionately about his project "DEVI" (Development Empowerment Vrindavan Institution) in Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh for the "abjectly poor girl children aged between 8-12", Oberoi said the institution was not only providing food and shelter to 1,200 such girls but also taking care of their education and health. "We are also imparting computer education to them to empower them to face the modern world", he said, adding the institution soon planned enhance the number to 3,000 such children soon. Oberoi said he was also "totally committed" in his work with Chennai-based institution taking care of mentally challenged and geriatics and also involved in the government programme of "DOTS" for tuberculosis patients. PTI