When Ravi Kishan’s father had beaten him with leather belt for wanting to be an actor: ‘Woh sab aashirvaad tha’

Actor Ravi Kishan recounted in an old interview how his father had beaten him with a belt, when he first told him he wanted to be an actor. Ravi turns 53 on Sunday.

Actor-turned-politician Ravi Kishan has had a long and successful career in films, one that spans over three decades. However, it has been full of struggles, which began right at home. In an old interview, Ravi had recounted that when he first decided to be an actor and told his father about it, he got a thrashing from him.

Ravi Kishan with his father Shyam Narayan Shukla.

Ravi Kishan made his Bollywood debut in 1991, but his breakthrough role came in Salman Khan-starrer Tere Naam, over a decade later. The actor worked in Bhojpuri films through the 2000s establishing himself as a leading actor in the industry, before returning to Hindi films and OTT in supporting roles.

Speaking with ABP Live in 2021, Ravi spoke about the time when he first realised he wanted to be an actor and went to his father with the information. He said in Hindi, “He beat me with a leather belt when I told him. He was a priest. And at that time, acting wasn’t considered a respectable profession. He would think nachaniya banega (he’ll be a dancer). Today, a career in cinema and acting is looked at with respect. Earlier that wasn’t the case. People used to think it’s a bunch of singers and dancers. So, a priest’s child singing and dancing for money was looked down upon.”

Ravi Kishan was most recently seen in the Bhojpuri film Mera Bharat Mahaan, which released earlier this year. He also had a starring role in the MX Player series Matsya Kaand, which also featured Ravi Dubey. He also appeared in a supporting role in Sony Liv’s The Whistleblower.