Taking a break from “the best phase in cinema” actor-politician Ravi Kishan is readying to take up active politics now that he has been named as the BJP candidate from Gorakhpur. Excerpts:
Just two month back you said that you will just work for the BJP and not fight elections.
The announcement of my name was as much a surprise for me as it was for everyone else. Now, this is about service to country and winning it for Modiji. Everyone is ganging up to defeat the person (PM Narendra Modi) who is working day and night for the progress of the country and world is recognising it. As a ‘chowkidar’ I am going to fight the election in Yogiji home city and Bholenath ki kripa se bahut badi jeet hogi (With Lord Shiva’s blessing, it will be a landslide victory). Films will take a back-seat.
This is the same seat which the BJP lost in the by-elections to an SP-BSP alliance candidate.
Those were different circumstances. Now, everyone is taking it very serious and as a representative, I will be visiting each and every household to seek votes for Modiji.
You fought from Jaunpur on a Congress ticket, were close to Akhilesh Yadav during SP rule and now a BJP candidate.
I joined BJP in 2017. I have friends in all parties but now, as a BJP candidate, I will actively participate in all party’s endeavours and serve the people. I have been doing work in my native place like helping in building roads and getting amenities. This leap is sudden but once I take something up I do it with ‘tan-man-dhan’ (my complete being).
The Election Commission has barred Yogi Adityanth and others for controversial remarks. What precautions are you going to take?
I don’t think Yogiji has said anything wrong by talking about Bajrang Bali but that’s the call of the Election Commission. Personally, I can say that I won’t say anything that my wife and daughter can feel bad about. I will also take note of things that EC has barred. Never in my life have I said anything controversial, nor do I plan to do it now.
As a cinema person what is your agenda for the development of the film industry in UP?
I have wanted to open a studio near Amausi in Lucknow which could not happen for a long time. Now, with Gorakhpur becoming my political ground, I wish to open a state-of-art studio between Gorakhpur and Varanasi. I wish to boost UP as a film-friendly state so that people don’t need to go to Mumbai for shooting and post-production work.”
Besides films, I also wish that more hospitals come up so that people living in the rural belt have greater access to medical facilities. My father had suffered a head injury in our village (in Jaunpur) and till the time he was taken to Varanasi a lot of blood had been lost. I don’t want this to happen to anyone. I am sure if Mahadev and Baba Gorakhnath have shown me this path, they must have some plans for me too.
First Published: Apr 18, 2019 13:58 IST
