Ravi Kishan credits Narendra Modi for his new political innings!

Noted Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan is contesting the Lok Sabha Elections 2019 on a BJP ticket. However, instead of his birthplace Jaunpur, the actor is contesting from Gorakhpur. Juggling his successful film career with politics isn’t easy and the actor admits to that. In an exclusive interview with Bharati Dubey, Ravi Kishan also reveals his reasons of joining BJP and shares his take on the big Bollywood divide due to the political alignments

You have been doing well as an actor, what prompted you to join politics?

It is only one man and that is Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is sad to see how all the other parties in the country are coming together to bring this one person down and that was the wake-up call for me. It made me wonder why is this happening at a time when the world is giving him awards, why is his own country bringing him down. He has gotten the country so much respect globally. Then I started reading his biography, I studied about his family, his mother still lives in a small place, brother works at a petrol pump and I got very inspired by this. Then there is his love for the country, so I thought this is the right time to pay back to the society.

How will you divide your time now?

I will do lesser films, and if it works, I will build a studio here in Gorakhpur and make our own projects. But the films that I will make from now on will be more story-oriented, biopics and country-oriented cinema and films that have some social message. The singing and dancing kind of work will definitely reduce.

So what is the kind of mood in Gorakhpur right now with your added star power?

It is madness here! Kamal ke phool ka jaadu chal gaya hai. I have been welcomed with open arms and have got the blessings of Yogi Adityanath(Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister) for this seat, which is an honour. He has called me his inheritor which is a huge responsibility for me. As for my star power and my speeches as a leader, I think my personality and the power of the lotus have blended really well.

You had earlier contested from Jaunpur?

I had fought from Jaunpur on a Congress ticket. I don’t know if the party had earlier thought of giving me the ticket from there. What I have got is the party’s decision and I am going to give my best to this constituency.

Manoj Tiwari has a huge role to play in getting Bhojpuri stars into politics…

He is a friend, who is my junior in films and now a senior in politics. He is a great well-wisher of all. He knows me and was my rival for a really long time, but he knows me today and knows what kind of a person Ravi Kishan is. So we are very thick friends today.

What do you have to say to the Hindi film artistes who have now joined the Congress like Shatrughan Sinha?

I don’t understand and I want to ask my fraternity, what’s the matter? The world is appreciating our Prime Minister and he is getting us so much respect in the world. His mother still lives in that 10 x 11’ room, brother is still working at the petrol pump. Why are they targetting him? He has never asked any muslims to go back to some other country. Not a single riot or communal issues happened during his tenure. He only believes insab ka saath sab ka vikas. Modiji was brought up in a muslim area and believes in the Ganga-Jamuna tehzeeb. It is the opposition parties that are brainwashing the muslims saying that Modiji is a threat for you which is completely untrue.

Bollywood is divided by this right?

This is sad, no? One man is getting you respect globally, otherwise hamare Indian passport ko down-market dekha jaata tha. If he was a bad man, would he have gotten us the respect India has got in the last five years? The world considers him to be one of the finest leaders, why are a few people of our country disrespecting, I really don’t understand. He is trying his best to do for the country, working 18 to 19 hours in the day for the betterment of the country. He is not doing this to build a farmhouse, or jewellery for his family! Nor is he is planning to build a bungalow in London. He wants to take the country forward and bring the economy back on track and is asking for one more five-year term.