Mumbai: Viveik Oberoi had a terrible Tuesday, like much of Mumbai. He was busy trying to track down an employee's husband as he went missing after the mulitple blasts that ripped through local trains yesterday. "We went crazy trying to locate him. We were so worried and she has a four-year-old child. Because of the traffic jams, it was difficult reaching any place. Finally, we found out that he had been admitted to one of the hospitals. He is injured, but he is okay," he relates.

On a much happier note, things are good on the professional front. Viveik is excited about the way Vishal Bharadwaj's Omkara has worked out. "Working with a director who has a combination of pristine clarity and pure passion is a pleasure. I was supposed to do Vishal's film Barf, which was to be directed by Ajay (Devgan), but that didn't work out. Thankfully, this time around I got a chance to work with them."

Viveik's character, Kesu Phirangi, is a charmer and rather popular with women. Is this anything like him in real life? Viveik smiles and says, "Oh no, I am a shy guy in real life."

Viveik says he and Saif Ali Khan got along really well while shooting for Omkara. "I applaud Saif's commitment and belief. He actually shaved his head for the role. It is difficult to take that plunge."

Saif Ali Khan’s character is jealous of Viveik's character, Kesu, in the film. How does Viveik deal with jealousy in his own life? "We all face jealousy. There have been so many people in my life who've pretended to be my friends and for who I have done so much, who've backstabbed me. When you are faced with betrayal you want to forgive and move on, but it is always at the cost of faith," he says, adding that he has become a tougher person.

To the question of looking for a girlfriend, he retorts, "Do I need to look for one?" Does that mean there is a long queue of would-be girlfriends? "I am enjoying the attention of pretty girls." Suddenly, he becomes more serious. "I think I will steer away from serious relationships for a long time. It will take a while for me to recover from what happened to me earlier... I cannot commit to anyone," he says, no prize for figuring out that he is referring to his break-up with Aishwarya Rai.

Amusingly, his recently acquired single status has given him a larger female fan following. "I love that euphoria, but for now, I’m happy to be single."