Happy birthday Ravi Kishan: 5 lesser known facts about the actor-politician

Ravi Kishan's journey from a Bhojpuri movie star to a politician is an inspiring real-life story. Take a look at some interesting facts about the actor.

Ravi Kishan's journey has been nothing short of incredible! From making us laugh with his hilarious comic timing to leaving a lasting impression with his intense characters, and even venturing into politics and making a name for himself there, he's done it all. On his birthday, let's dive into some little-known facts about the actor.

Ravi Kishan with his family.

Childhood in a chawl

Ravi Kishan, who grew up in a chawl in Mumbai’s Santacruz, had a major life change when his father's dairy business hit a rough patch. When he was just 10 years old, he and his family moved to a village in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. But Ravi had big dreams of being an actor, so at 17 , he left home and went back to Mumbai. He ended up living in a tiny one-room flat with 12 other people.

His father was against his acting dream

In several interviews, Ravi had revealed that his father wanted him to do milk business and used to bash him up badly with a belt. His mother gave him ₹500 with which he came to Mumbai to try his luck in acting. Once, he justified his father’s behaviour, saying, “He was a priest and being a brahmin, he always wanted me to do farming or become a priest or do some government job. He never thought an artist can be born in his family”. However, by the end, Ravi’s father was proud of his achievements.

Playing Sita in Ramleela

During his struggle days, Ravi Kishan did several small roles, and often worked as a background artist. He even participated in Ramleela to earn a few bucks and keep on his struggle in the movies. In a previous interview with Etimes, Ravi said, “I was also a part of Ramleela, where I played the role of Sita. I believe that God plans your life”.

Starting off with B-grade movie

Ravi Kishan, whose real name is Ravindra Shyamnarayan Shukla, started his film journey with a B-grade movie, titled Pitamber, which had Mithun Chakraborty in the lead. He got ₹5000 for the film. He got recognition when he appeared in a supporting role in Salman Khan's hit Tere Naam. He also gave voice to Spider-Man 3, making it the first Hollywood movie ever to be dubbed in Bhojpuri.

Bhojpuri film reaches Hollywood

There's no denying that Ravi Kishan is the biggest actor in the Bhojpuri cinema. In fact, his film, Mahadev Ka Gorakhpur was the first Bhojpuri film to be released in the US. The film released on March 29, 2024, and it is believed that it is the first Bhojpuri film to be released in the States. The actor himself produced the film.

Ravi was last seen in Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies.