Ravi Kishan Shukla, better known as Ravi Kishan is one of the biggest superstars in Bhojpuri cinema. In the year 2024, the dapper actor received a lot of plaudits and appreciation from the critics for his exceptional acting in the film, Laapataa Ladies and web series, Maamla Legal Hai. The actor proved the mettle of his acting chops with his portrayal of 'Inspector Shyam Manohar' and 'Advocate V D Tyagi'. While cinema fanatics are well-informed about his acting calibre, even the new generation of youngsters fell in love with Ravi Kishan's comic timing.
For the unversed, Ravi Kishan made his acting debut in Bollywood back in 1992 in the film, Pitambar. In his debut film, the actor shared the screen with Bollywood superstar, Mithun Chakraborty, which was a huge feat for an outsider like him. In the coming years, he worked with Akshay Kumar in Zakhmi Dil, Dharmendra in Aatank, Shah Rukh Khan in Army, Jackie Shroff in Share Bazaar, Paresh Rawal in Hera Pheri, Salman Khan in Tere Naam, Sanjay Dutt in Luck, and the list goes on.
advertisement
Recommended Read: Dinesh Lal Yadav's Facts: From Nirahua's Real Wife To His Alleged Love Story With Amrapali Dubey
Despite working with so many critically acclaimed filmmakers and renowned actors, Ravi Kishan never received exposure and admiration for his work. As a result, he entered Bhojpuri cinema, while simultaneously working in the Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada film industries. It was in the year 2002, that Ravi Kishan made his debut in the Bhojpuri film industry with the film, Saiyan Hamaar. The film was a blockbuster and made him a superstar overnight.
In the coming years, Ravi Kishan was seen in a series of notable films like Dulha Milal Dildaar, Hum To Ho Gayi Ni Tohar, Ab To Banja Sajanwa Hamaar, Bhoomiputra, Balidaan, Satyamev Jayte, Kaisan Piyawa Ke Charitar Ba, and the list goes on.
Continue reading below
While in Bhojpuri cinema, Ravi Kishan had attained an unprecedented stature, he was still hungry as an actor to do some challenging roles, and it was when he moved to the South Indian film industry. Ravi Kishan made his Tamil debut with the film, Monisha En Monalisa, his debut in Telugu with Race Gurram, and his Kannada debut with Hebbuli.
With decades of work in Bollywood, Bhojpuri cinema and OTT, Ravi Kishan is finally getting the recognition he deserves for being one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema.
Apart from his acting skills, Ravi Kishan is also an exceptional voice-over artist, and he proved his mettle back in 2007 when he decided to dub the iconic Hollywood film, Spider-Man 3 in Bhojpuri. The actor is immensely proud of his language and culture, and by dubbing a Hollywood movie in Bhojpuri, Ravi Kishan promoted the beautiful language across the world.
There's no denying that Ravi Kishan is currently the biggest actor in the Bhojpuri cinema. He has been making content-based films in Bhojpuri cinema for some time now, as he aims to make his regional film industry a recognised name across the world.
You May Like This: Ravi Kishan Owns A Lavish House Worth Rs 20 Crores: From Home Garden To Double-Sized Terrace
On March 29, 2024, Ravi Kishan's film, Mahadev Ka Gorakhpur will be released in the US, and it will become the first Bhojpuri film to be released in America. It's a huge feat for Bhojpuri cinema, which was mostly filled with vulgar content. The actor himself produced the film with a vision of presenting the potential of Bhojpuri cinema to the world.
Don't Miss: Kumar Vishwas And His Wife Manju Sharma's Love Story: From College Romance To Leaving Their Families
During his appearance on Rajat Sharma's show, Aap Ki Adalat, Ravi Kishan talked about his participation in Bigg Boss' inaugural season and admitted that it had changed his life. The actor finished the show as second runner-up behind Carol Gracias, the first runner-up, and eventual winner, Rahul Roy. Ravi Kishan admitted he never wanted to be a part of the reality show because at that time, he was doing back-to-back films.
The Bhojpuri superstar, Ravi Kishan admitted that success had gone on his head, which was why his wife, Preeti Kishan told him to participate in Bigg Boss in order to stay grounded and more successful. Although, at that time, it was extremely tough for Ravi Kishan to take a break from the film industry to be a part of a brand new show, but he trusted his wife, and in the end, it paid off.
The Bhojpuri superstar, Ravi Kishan finished the competition on a high note and became popular nationwide for his humourous nature. It was inside the Bigg Boss when Ravi Kishan's iconic dialogue, "Zindagi jhand ba, fir bhi ghamand ba", became the highlight of the show. Talking about the same, he said:
"I had become arrogant after my movies became hits. My wife advised me to join Bigg Boss. After initial reluctance, I went. After remaining locked in their set for three months, when I came out, I had changed a lot. Not only I became popular, but I became a normal person. I sorted out my family life, my wife and children, during that period. After I came out of three months of 'prison' (qaid), I became a prisoner of spirituality. Bigg Boss affected my life deeply."
Besides acting in films, Ravi Kishan is also heavily involved in politics. It all started when he joined the Indian National Congress (INC) from the Jaunpur constituency and contested in the 2014 general elections.
However, Ravi Kishan's political journey took a different turn when he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2019 from the Gorakhpur constituency. In the 2019 general elections, Ravi Kishan beat Samajwadi Party's Rambhual Nishad by a lead of over 3,01,664 votes. The remarkable victory proved the mettle of Ravi Kishan's popularity and his deeper con
Ravi Kishan is enjoying the best phase of his life as he continues to pick new projects that give him more exposure and recognition. However, only a few people are aware of the fact that his father opposed his dream to become an actor. Once, in an old interview with a publication, Ravi Kishan revealed that he played the character of 'Goddess Sita' in Ramleela. When his father found out about it, he beat him and told him to forget about becoming an actor.
Despite getting beaten and scolded by his father, Ravi Kishan was adamant to follow his dream of becoming an actor. It was a clash of ideologies between the father and son duo, and it was when the latter's mother did something that changed everything. The doting mother knew that if her son would follow the path of acting, her husband would kill him because it was disrespectful to him. Hence, she gave Rs. 500 to Ravi and told him to go to Mumbai to follow his passion.
Ravi Kishan came to Mumbai and did a lot of odd jobs during his struggling days, but it was his passion for acting that made him what he is today. In a conversation with Brut, the Bhojpuri superstar revealed that his father was extremely proud of him once he became a recognised actor. Opening up about the same, an elated Ravi Kishan said:
"He was very happy with me because my career in acting gave me a lot of money. Before his death, there were tears in his eyes and he said, 'tum humare gaurav ho'."
With so much work in his hands in the form of films, television shows, and web series, Ravi Kishan is an inspiration for so many aspiring actors out there who are living in India's small villages and dare to become a successful actor in India.
What are your thoughts on Ravi Kishan's exceptional journey, from leaving his home to working in Bollywood and becoming the superstar of Bhojpuri cinema? Let us know.
Also Read: 6 Men In Shruti Haasan's Life: From Siddharth, Naga Chaitanya To Santanu Hazarika
advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
