Me and the Stars: The Struggle of Ravi Kishan…

By Sharad Rai

As I mentioned earlier, in the beginning of my career in film journalism, I used to go to the Sahkar Bhandar restaurant outside Bandra Station every evening. It was a popular hangout for PROs (Public Relations Officers), journalists, and new actors. Among the PROs I met, I became closest to Raju Karia, Samarjeet (both of whom were new, just like me back then), and senior PR officer Raman Pandey. Senior journalist Z.A. Johar from Maya Puri also used to frequent the place. I would occasionally see Johar's young son with him there—he is the same boy, actor Sharib Hashmi, who is now a popular face on OTT platforms. Later, Samarjeet became known as the only PRO for Bhojpuri films, and Raju Karia became the star PRO of Hindi films.

Now, let me talk about PR officer Raman Pandey. He was a very well-mannered yet tough PR guy who carried a licensed revolver with him. I developed a great rapport with him. He wouldn’t accept that I hadn’t had a cup of tea before leaving and would not even talk to the other struggling actors there unless they were joining him for tea. He used to say, “Everyone says hello just for tea.” Initially, Raman Pandey was known as the PRO for music composer Shankar’s Sharda (the singer), and he also worked as a PRO for several other major film personalities.

Raman Pandey soon got an interest in film direction, and meetings started happening at his Bandstand residence. Laxmikant Pandey, a producer, partnered with him. The film they started working on was Gudiya, starring Deepak Parashar and Surender Kaur (the sister of Nadiya Ke Paar heroine Sadhna Singh). Throughout this project, Raman Ji kept me closely involved, asking me for help with writing, casting, and other aspects. It was during this time that I mentioned to Ravi Kishan that a film was in the works and that he should meet Raman Ji. This was during the early stages of Ravi Kishan’s career. The very next day, we found ourselves talking in a room at Raman Ji’s house, but through the window, Pandeyji saw Ravi Kishan standing on the balcony, laughing and talking to his daughter. He turned to me and said, “Look outside. The boy I was supposed to introduce to you is out there flirting with my daughter. I will shoot him!” Of course, when Ravi Kishan finally met him, Raman Ji spoke to him in a normal tone. He often threatened in jest, but deep down, he was very kind-hearted. When Ravi Kishan was about to leave, he gave me a subtle hint and said, “If you want, I can help you get work here.”

Well, those were Ravi Kishan’s early days of struggle. Later, Raman Ji and I found out that Ravi and Preeti already knew each other from before. Both had studied together in the 11th grade at Rizvi College in Bandra. Getting work in Gudiya was tough for Ravi Kishan because Deepak Parashar’s role was being reduced. Deepak, a model, had signed a major film, and Ravi Kishan, at that time, had no major work to his name. What eventually happened with the film Gudiya is another story altogether. However, during these struggling days, Ravi Kishan found a great friend in Preeti Pandey, Raman Ji’s daughter, who later became Ravi Kishan’s wife and the mother of their children.

Preeti, not only has been Ravi Kishan's companion in his film struggles, but she has also witnessed every step of his journey. From playing small roles in Hindi films and being the hero in several small films, Ravi gradually became a massive star in Bhojpuri cinema, worked in South films, and became a two-time Member of Parliament. Even while staying active in politics, he proved his strength in the film industry with films like 'Lapata Ladies' and 'Mamla Legal Hai', showcasing that the man has what it takes!"

Read also:

• Raveena Tandon’s daughter Rasha reveals why she got slapped as a child
  
• Arjun Kapoor reacts to wedding rumors, says, "Will happen at the right time...
  
• Sonam Kapoor breaks down while paying tribute to Rohit Bal on the ramp
• Anjini Dhawan confirms working with Salman Khan in Sikandar