Ravi Gosain

Article Updated 01 May, 2005 05:03:21 AM IST

Ravi Gosain

Once an actor always an actor. Ask Delhi-based Ravi Gosain who came to Mumbai eight years ago to become like most others a film actor. Having worked with various theatre personalities from Satyadev Dubey, Naseeruddin Shah and Mahendra Joshi to Makarand Deshpande and Rajat Kapoor, Ravi says all he learnt about acting is from the different "theatre workshops I did with all these greats."

Then Gulzarsaab's Maachis happened and Ravi got a chance to show his histrionics. The talented actor has worked with the likes of Govind Nihalani (Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa), Amol Palekar (Daayra) and now Shyam Benegal in the forthcoming 'Netaji Bose The Forgotten Hero'. In fact coming up next from Ravi is not one but a whole lot of interesting films like 'The Film', directed by first timer Junaid Memon. "There is Mahima Chaudhary who plays a writer in the film which is about these six friends. I play a music director and the only positive character in this thriller."

Then there is Chingari with Kalpana Lajmi. "I'm one of the main characters - there is Sushmita Sen, Mithun Chakraborty, Anuj Sawhney and Ila Arun. I play a pansy in this film but unlike others who dress in feminine clothes, I sport a beard and a moustache. It's only my gestures which are like a pansy," he says, adding "It's an interesting character based in Bihar. Then there are films called The Agreement directed by Mukul Anand's assistant Gautam Verma in which I am doing an important comic role and Ek Main Aur Ek Tu which will see me in the main negative role."

Ravi who's best known for his hits, be it through his television characters of the big screen roles like in Zee's popular show 'Amanat' and of course Gulzar's 'Maachis' says, "Besides my role of Nigoda in Amanat and then a serious role in Maachis, I also got a lot of popularity and recognition with my Punjabi serial Kikraan De Phool and another Pakistani show on Geo TV called Lakhon Mein Teen in which I got a chance to do 32 roles. I can't just rest on my past work which got me a lot of popularity and recognition. I have to look at the future. It's strange that people remember Nigoda the most though I have done a lot of work on TV. I have handled different genres, different subjects and enjoyed everything. Swaraj, Ramesh Sippy's TV show Gaatha, Sarhadein, Hukumat, Kartavya and episodic shows like X-Zone, Star Bestsellers, Rishtey and a whole lot of interesting stories have come my way. Now I'm doing more films as that's what I wanted to be in when I first came to Mumbai."

Ravi says that he did big films like 'Raja Bhaiya' with Govinda and 'Pyar Koi Khel Nahin' "but since they didn't do too well at the box office my work got unnoticed. Now of course I am hoping my forthcoming films especially 'Chingari' and 'The Film' will work well for me," says the reticent actor who's inspired by "any good director and any good role."

Ravi has also done a couple of plays the latest being a comedy with Raju Kher and Shoma Anand Hungama Ho Gaya. "I'm even slated to do a play with Salim Arif and an Indo-Pakistan play which will open in India later this year. It has Mehdi Haasan's son Arif Mehndi as one of the people behind it. So I'm really looking forward to it. I have also been getting offers for regional films in Bhojpuri and Punjabi but waiting for the right role." Here's hoping his wait is not too long.

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