Although Ravi Kishan has been working as an actor for over three decades now, shifting between films and television shows, it was director Kiran Rao’s comedy drama Laapataa Ladies (2023) that truly established him as a performer in Bollywood, revealing his untapped potential and range. A star in the Bhojpuri film industry, it’s somewhat ironic that what brought him back into the spotlight in Hindi cinema was, as he once described it, “a small and tiny film”.
An outsider, Kishan made his acting debut in 1992 with the Bollywood film Pitambar, starring Mithun Chakraborty in the lead role. However, his road to fame and stardom wasn’t easy, and the actor-turned-politician recently stated that those who go through struggles in life consider him their “hero” as he represents them. He maintained that his life story “inspires” them. Mentioning that he had nothing with him when he commenced his journey, Kishan said during a recent appearance on Raj Shamani’s podcast, “Yet, people have been watching me for years now. They have seen me everywhere: on stage, on television, and that too across various languages. Where have I not been there? 750 films is a huge number. You go anywhere, you can see me or hear my voice. I consider that Mahadev’s blessing.”
Opening up about the struggles he faced in life before making it big as an actor, Kishan said, “I have seen a lot of poverty. I saw so much poverty that I was disgusted by it. I grew up seeing as many as 12 people (his family) eating the same Khichdi that contained only a little bit of rice and so much water. We all slept in a 10×12 room, sometimes even on top of each other. Even the toilet was situated outside the house. I was extremely poor and was fed up with poverty as well as the taunts. I did not want to hear my father being ridiculed any more.”
When asked whether casteism had played a role in it, and if his life would have been different had he belonged to another caste, the actor-politician asserted that he would have become what he wanted to be, regardless of his community. “Ravi Kishan would have been Ravi Kishan no matter which caste he belonged to. This is because I was blessed by Lord Shiva. And I didn’t want to die an anonymous man. Once I decided that I didn’t want to die unknown, I was ready to do whatever it took. What’s the benefit of you coming to earth if even your neighbour doesn’t know that you passed away? You are not here to just make children or buy a bungalow. Recognition is what matters, and money will follow. Name or price? Name! Once you attain a name, everything will come running after you,” he added.
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How to attain that name and establish oneself? Ravi Kishan says, “Go to gym every day. If you don’t have money to join a gym, go for a run every day on the road. Run for at least 3-5 km. Hit 200 pushups. Soak chana in water overnight, and the next morning, drink the water and eat the soaked chana. Even if you are poor, you get these things for free from the government; make use of them. At least, wake up before sunrise and exercise daily. Watch sunrise every day, and that itself will bring about all the changes.”
Kishan will be next seen in director Vijay Kumar Arora’s Son of Sardaar 2, playing a key role alongside Ajay Devgn and Mrunal Thakur. A spiritual sequel to the 2012 action comedy helmed by Ashwni Dhir, Kishan will be playing in Son of Sardaar 2 the role that was originally earmarked for Sanjay Dutt.
