Ravi Kishan is a household name in the Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Telugu film industries and now a respected politician. His recent appearances in Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, and the Netflix series, Maamla Legal Hai, have garnered huge praise from audiences. However, behind his pomp and glory lies a horrifying childhood, and a whole lot of perseverance in starting his life anew.
Recently, in an interview with Shubhankar Mishra, Ravi Kishan recalled the harrowing incident from his childhood that torments him to this day. Imagine being 14 or 15, just a kid with big dreams and a love for acting. For Ravi, this love translated into playing the role of ‘Sita’ in his local Ramleela. But one day, when his father found out, things took a terrifying turn. The actor recalled:
“I used to participate in Ramleela and I used to play Sita ji’s role. My father came to know about it one day. I had taken my mother’s saree. Along with a few more people, I was rehearsing my role all day. My father came to know about it and when I returned home he beat me up with a leather belt. I remember the way he whipped me, my skin had almost peeled off. It felt like he had decided to silence me that night.”
Ravi further recalled how his mother came to the rescue by sensing the danger. She was aware of the extent her husband could go to, and decided to help Ravi out of that place. The actor shared:
“My mother, that night, thought I’ll be killed, so she handed me Rs. 500 and said, ‘take the train and leave, or he’ll kill you. You run away.’ I was around 14-15 years old when I came to Mumbai in those situations.”
A few days ago, during his visit to the Sahitya AajTak event, Ravi Kishan recalled his 34 years of struggle to reach where he stands today. There, the actor shared that his father, being a Brahmin in the 80s and 90s, was against his will to act, and wanted him to become a farmer or bag a government job. Talking about his journey after leaving home at such a young age, Ravi Kishan shared:
"I have struggled a lot, I have come up crawling. Behind the Ravi Kishan you see now, there's a lot of struggle. I have walked across Mumbai by foot, and stayed in a 10X12 house where the bathroom used to be outside. I knew nobody in Mumbai. There was no godfather, no one helped me. But I knew that a new dawn would break in my life."
Fast forward to today, Ravi has not only acted in blockbusters but also starred in Kiran Rao’s Laapataa Ladies, which became India’s official entry for the 2025 Oscars. Although the film didn’t make it to the shortlist, it has been celebrated globally, even breaking records in Japan and on Netflix. The actor shared that his role as a police officer in the film was inspired by real-life people he had observed.
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From heartbreak to triumph, Ravi Kishan’s journey is a reminder that no matter where you start, you can always rewrite your story.
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