'Want To Prove Myself': Ravi Kishan To NDTV On 'Feeling The Pressure' Of Entering Mirzapur Universe

With Mirzapur: The Movie set to release in theatres tomorrow, September 4, Ravi Kishan is stepping into the franchise as Babban Babua Yadav. 

The actor, who has worked across Bhojpuri, Hindi and television, joins an already established Mirzapur universe featuring characters such as Kaleen Bhaiya, Guddu Pandit and Munna Bhaiya. 

The film is directed by Gurmmeet Singh, written by Puneet Krishna and produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar under Excel Entertainment.

In an interview with NDTV's Hardika Gupta, Ravi Kishan opened up about his first reaction to being approached for Mirzapur: The Movie, the pressure of entering a franchise with a massive fan base, his character Babban Babua, the film's strong advance booking and his equation with Pankaj Tripathi.

Ravi Kishan On Entering The Mirzapur Universe

Mirzapur already has its own bhaukaal, and Ravi Kishan believes that entering a world this established came with its own excitement. 

Recalling his first reaction when he was approached for the film, he said, "So, its bhaukaal was already very big. It felt really good. After hearing the story, I was very excited. I was very excited because I got a lot of opportunity to perform in this. I also have a love angle, which will be very interesting and will surprise you."

'There Was A Pressure When I Joined The Franchise'

The actor also admitted that there was pressure when he joined the franchise, considering the massive audience that Mirzapur has built over the years through its OTT run.

"There is pressure, of course. Look, Mirzapur had already become such a cult on OTT. So, I wanted to prove myself in it. Coming on board, I felt, 'Yes, I should be part of this world,' because they have already been there for 10 years. Everyone is already established in their characters, and they have been very successful in that arena."

He added, "I was entering that world, so there was pressure. But by taking Mahadev's name, Guru bhai and Puneet ji, who is the writer, supported me a lot. The language and the lingo also supported me because I come from that world. In everyday life, I keep meeting people like these. My constituency is Gorakhpur, and the love of the people is my strength."

'You Will Fall In Love With Babban Yadav'

Ravi Kishan's Babban Babua is one of the new additions to the Mirzapur universe. The actor said that the character allowed him to explore a larger-than-life side of himself.

He said, "Babban Yadav will make you fall in love with him. He is fierce, but he is also very different. He is unpredictable, and that is the beauty of the character. I can't reveal much more, but yes, my reaction was just 'Wow'. You know, there is something called an actor's dream - one of those dreams. An actor's dreams never end."

He added, "Babban and I had not been portrayed in this way before. I don't think I had ever appeared in such a larger-than-life form. Guru bhai showed me in a very larger-than-life way. I have always been a fan of characters played by Amrish Puri sahab and Gabbar Singh. I really like such characters because Ravan is always a negative force or an antagonist, but my task was to make you love him as well."

Explaining what he wanted audiences to take away from Babban, he said, "You should like him even though he is an antagonist. You should not feel like judging him; instead, you should also understand and like his side of the story. So, I give complete credit for this to Puneet bhai and Guru - they balanced the character very well and did not let it get scattered."

Ravi further spoke about the way the characters have been written in the film. "All the characters have their own stories. None of them is there just for the sake of it. That will be one of the beautiful things about the film and people will really like it. Nobody wanted to give even an inch of weakness to their character; everybody was completely into it. So, it was a lot of fun."

'People Will Not Be Disappointed'

The film has also generated considerable anticipation ahead of its theatrical release.

Speaking about the response to the advance booking, Ravi Kishan said that the reach of the franchise has surprised him. "For 10 years, Mirzapur has had a fixed audience, and its craze has spread on its own. We are getting reports from across the world - reports are coming from Canada, America and Gulf countries. So, it has been surprising to see that it has such a huge reach and that so many people are waiting for it."

He added, "First of all, I am very happy. I will thank Mahadev and God. It is all His grace that we are getting news of such a strong opening. As for the audience, I promise that people will not be disappointed. They will be completely satisfied and will leave the theatre feeling fulfilled."

Ravi Kishan On His Bond With Pankaj Tripathi

Ravi Kishan also spoke about his equation with Pankaj Tripathi, with whom he has previously worked in Raavan and Global Baba. The two actors share a Bihar connection, something Ravi believes has strengthened their bond over the years.

He said, "We both did two films together, one Raavan and one Global Baba. There is a very beautiful bond between us. We share a Bhojpuriya emotion and a Bihar connection. We respect each other and are silently or openly happy for each other's success."

Talking about Pankaj's journey, Ravi said, "I am so proud of him that he has become such a big star and that the country is giving him so much love. Coming from a very humble background, his story and my story are the same. We both come from very humble backgrounds, and reaching this point is a blessing from God and our parents."

He added, "Yeah, so completely, I believe in that. I love him as an actor, I love him as a human being, and God bless him. I wish him many more successes. Kaleen Bhaiya is cult, and after this video, it feels like... I am very happy."