Once Mr. Bachchan called me Mahanayak Ravi Kishan

After getting into the shoes of actor and producer, the badshah of Bhojhpuri films, Ravi Kishan will soon be seen hosting a reality show Ek Se Badhkar Ek. Let’s try to get close to his real self and know about his struggling days and a bit about the show.

Q. Ek Se Bhadkar Ek is a celebrity based reality show. How are you prepared for it?
A. There is no such preparation, I mean nothing is readymade. Firstly, I am hosting for the first time, so I am quite excited with it. We have tried to use less written scripts and I will go more spontaneous there. Everything will be shot ad lib. Whatever I will see will be talked on. So it will be more like watch, think instantly and talk.

Q. What made you accept the show?
A. The concept. I liked the concept of the show very much. Combining singing and dancing together is a very nice idea. Ek Se Bhadkar Ek is a show where the singers and dancers will be grouped in bunches of twos. Both singing and dancing will be performed simultaneously and their approach should be to make up each other’s deficiencies. I mean if a singer does not score well then his/her dancing partner will try to make up for that. It will be coming at a prime time, 7:30 in the evening, on every Saturday and Sunday. If we are able to stop the cars on the street at this hour for watching the show then I would say that it is a definite hit.

Q. Is it true that you used to cry during yourstruggling days?
A. Struggling days were very tough time for me. I did not have any God father so I really had a tough time. I am from Johanpur and my father is a pandit. He was in Mumbai for very long time and I, too, grew up in Mumbai. But most of the time I stayed in my village Johanpur. I passed out from Banaras Hindu University with Commerce as my subject. My dad at first opposed me from acting but my mom supported me. As I had no god father figure in Bollywood, it took me 19 years to reach up to here. I used to cry with the make-up stick in my hand at that time thinking that when would I put that brush on my face and do acting.

Q. How has been your journey from Bhojhpuri to Hindi Industry?
A. No, it has never been from Bhojpuri to Hindi films, rather it was the opposite. I started my career with Hindi film but nobody recognized me properly that time. It was after Big Boss that I got recognition. After that show producers from Hindi films started calling me and again I am here. It's also true that it’s because of that show that you are here asking me these questions.

Q. What is keeping you busy these days other than this show?
A. I have my own home production titled Mahadev, where I will try to provide chance to all the strugglers as much as possible. I have seen and gone through all the pains of struggling in my life, so I want to give a platform to everyone through my production house.

Q. Will you produce only Bhojpuri films?
A. No, I will be producing Bhojpuri films along with Hindi films. Films like Bihari Mafia, Chak De Bihar and Cocaine are being produced under my banner. Apart from that I am also producing Shyam Benegal's film Mahadev.

Q. How was it working with Shyam Benegal?
A. It was wonderful working with him. The film is a passionate love story and working with Shyam Benegal is like acting to get a certificate.

Q. Any interesting incident that happened on the sets?
A. Nothing of that sort, but it was nice experience working with Shyamji. He used to take re-takes until he got satisfied and I gave lots of re-takes of a shot where I had to ride a cycle and that, too, up to 2 km.

Q. Your ambition at present…
A. I am planning to open a theatre in my village, where I will teach people acting. It will be like Shaolin Temple for acting. It will give everyone a good platform to start their career. I am also planning to build a temple of Shivji in my village.

Q. How did your family react to your success?
A. They just cried. Ours is a very emotional family. You can imagine how a pujari's family would be, very simple and down to earth. I started my career when I was at my 15½, so it's been a long time now.

Q. What is the best compliment you have got till date?
A. Once Mr. Bachchan told me that I am a good actor and called me Mahanayak and once Dilip Kumar saab told me, "Mein duniy ko rulata hoon par tumne mujhe rula diya". I think nothing can be better than that.

Q. Other projects you are working in…
A. Apart from Shyam Benegal's Mahadev I am doing Money Hai to Honey Hai and Loot with Govinda. Another film, Luck, will be shot in South Africa.

Sabir Rahman