Meet 'gareebon ka Mithun Chakraborty', gave 40 flops in Hindi, later became Amitabh Bachchan of..., once stole money from temple, now owns...

It is said that an actor doesn't get too many chances to revive themselves. However, we discuss an artiste who was mocked in Bollywood. He was called a duplicate of Mithun Chakraborty and was rejected by the filmmakers for his resemblance with Disco Dancer. After years of struggle, he entered Bollywood but gave multiple flops. The constant failure didn't stop him, and he found his own way. The back-to-back disappointment made his way to another film industry, where he went on to achieve stardom and stature at par with Amitabh Bachchan. 

The actor who was called 'gareebon ka Mithun Chakraborty' is...

Ravi Kishan, born Ravi Shukla ran away from his Uttar Pradesh home at a young age. After arriving in Mumbai, Ravi struggled for years for work. Ravi went to different production houses with his portfolio, but when he used to meet directors and producers, one thing he would hear often was, "Tumhari shakal Mithun Chakraborty se bahut milti hai. Humare yaha already ek Mithun da hai, tumhari zaroorat nahi." Ravi also admitted that he recognised the resemblance he shared with Mithun, and thus he used to mimic him, his body language, and even his dialogue delivery. 

When Ravi was considered to play milkman, a vegetable seller

In an interview, he said, "In cinema, people were looked at differently. They were considered Bhaiya as a milkman and vegetable vendor. People speaking Bhojpuri Hindi were considered lowly." Then to become an actor, he had to drop his father's name Shukla, and adopted Kishan. 

Watch Ravi Kishan and Mithun Chakraborty together 

Ravi Kishan's failed career in Bollywood

Ravi finally got his Hindi debut in 1992 with Pitambar. The movie was a commercial disaster, and his Bollywood career started on a bad note. Ravi gave back-to-back 40 flops in Hindi. Despite his supporting role in the smash hit Tere Naam, Ravi couldn't get much benefit from it. 

When Ravi Kishan found success in Bhojpuri cinema

In 2000, the Bhojpuri industry was struggling for survival. At that time, Ravi entered with Saiyaan Hamar (2003), and the success of this film revived Bhojpuri cinema with the fresh face of Ravi Kishan. Over the years, Ravi gave back-to-back hits, and blockbusters, changing the face of the Bhojpuri industry, and gaining the title of 'Amitabh Bachchan of Bhojpuri cinema'. 

When Ravi stole money from the temple 

While appearing on Aap Ki Adalat, Ravi revealed that his father was a priest of a temple. When Ravi was in his teens, he stole a few coins from the temple's donation box, but his dad caught him. Ravi's father thrashed him badly, and to save him from Sr Shukla's wrath, Ravi's mom gave him Rs 500 and asked him to run away from the house. Ravi's stardom further rose when he appeared in Bigg Boss Season One. On the work front, he was last seen in Laapaataa Ladies. As per the reports, Ravi owns 11 bungalows and flats and has a net worth of Rs 14 crore.