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Bollywood Monday, June 5, 2017 13 Famous child star of yesteryear Master Ravi, who has had a successful career away from the arc lights in the hospitality industry, now longs to return to Master Ravi and Nirupa Roy. Master Ravi in a still from the filmCoolie. his roots – Bollywood Ravi Valecha with Shashi Kapoor, recently. ‘Newness, poetry missing from Bollywood films now’ MEHRE ALAM saying he would re-introduce me once I Technology and Applied nutrition) Mum- me by Dilip Kumar and Rakhi whom I call DOHA grew up,” he explains. bai, I wouldn’t even eat a cake because it ‘Rakhi Didi’. Citing the irony of the situation, he had eggs and I was a pure veggie. My food “I have fond memories of Rakhi Didi n those split seconds that were says, “When I was young I never got to production professor advised me to give up cooking on the sets and making wonder- to separate life from death, small, study. So, in order to upgrade my skills my seat because as a chef, I would have to ful dishes. Mr Dilip Kumar used to treat terrified eyes gaze deep into a po- later, I did lots of courses. I also did my prepare and taste non-vegetarian dishes, me like his own son and would often get tential saviour. Unexpectedly, the MBA in 2010. and if I did not, I wouldn’t pass out of the sandwiches for me from his house. We steady-intent-cowering stare ends “And now, I am mulling over taking institute. both used to eat sandwiches in the evening Iup softening the hard edges around the up acting once again.” But what made him “So I took it up as a challenge. Three and take a stroll around the studio. gangster’s heart . It’s a child on the flat’s choose the hospitality career in the first years later, I was named the best student in “As far as the acting performance is balcony, hiding from a gang out to take place? “I was always very passionate about cookery in western India, by the institute.” concerned, I would give the entire credit to his life. And it’s one of their very own tell- cooking. When I came to learn about a Valecha has worked at Taj Mumbai as the director, Mr Sippy. The way he handled ing his comrades to go look elsewhere for course on cooking that could also get one a chef. He has also worked in mass cater- me, a 10-year-old boy at that time, was truly the prey he says ‘isn’t seen around’. into the glamorous world of hotel and hos- ing, company catering, fine dining, event fantastic. He used to explain each and every The child gets a lifeline. He lives to pitality, I got attracted to it. I applied for management, facilities management and shot and clearly spell out what he wanted see another day, though brooding all the the common entrance test for a hotel man- then worked at HDFC bank as Head of the character to feel and do on the screen.” time why his cop father had left him at the agement course, and, fortunately, I cleared Hospitality and Facility, and finally at Is he still in touch with Bollywood peo- mercy of his kidnappers, while not budging the entrance test, group discussion, inter- Vedanta India, as the head of administra- ple from his acting days? “Frankly, no,” an inch from his so-called principles. view etc. from among tion. “Currently, I am on a sabbatical. I am he replies, adding: “The work that I was The saviour in that frame was actor some 700,000 working towards getting back into the film doing was very demanding and hence I Kulbhushan Kharbanda. Child star Ravi applicants vying industry,” he declares. couldn’t keep in touch with a lot of people Valecha was playing a young Amitabh for just about Valecha had recently bumped into in the film industry. However, we have Bachchan as the die is cast in the 1982 1,200-odd Shashi Kapoor. How was the feeling? “I recently formed a group of the yesteryear classic Shakti. The intensity with which seats. met him at Prithvi Theatre. Unfortunately, child actors and we are all in touch and Ravi Valecha pulled off that scene remains “You’ll be he could not recognise me. He couldn’t meet regularly.” etched in the memory of many a cinema surprised to speak very clearly. Mr Kapoor was the one Bollywood, he says, has changed a lot. buff, including Yours Truly. know when I who had introduced me to the film indus- “Earlier it was a director’s industry. The By the time Shakti hit the theatre joined IHM- try in Fakira when I was just four. He was director was the captain of the ship and screens, Valecha, who was known as ‘Mas- CTAn (Insti- basically my godfather in the film indus- everybody had to follow his lead. ter Ravi’ back then, was already a big name tute of Hotel try. He was always a mentor and a guide, “Secondly, films were made based in Bollywood, having made his debut with Management, wherever and whenever I worked with on story and poetry and every scene had Shashi Kapoor-starrer Fakira (1976) at age Catering him.” Sharing anecdotes from some relevance. Each and every actor four, followed by Amar Akbar Anthony Shakti, the classic he worked was an artist who performed to their best (1977), Desh Premi (1982), Coolie (1982), in as a child actor with capacity as per the director’s and the char- where he had so convincingly played Am- some of the most towering acter’s requirements. Today, I feel – with itabh’s childhood characters. His role in figures of Bollywood, he due respect to the current lot working in Amar Akbar Anthony stood out as a stellar says, “Shakti was one of the industry – that there are many artists performance. the biggest films of its but very few actors. There are many more And then Master Ravi did the vanish- time. Mr Dilip Kumar, films now but fewer new stories. And the ing act. “I left the film industry at the pin- Mr Amitabh Bachchan, poetry has been missing.” nacle of my stardom. The industry used to Ms Rakhee Gulzar, Any regrets about missing out on a full- call me a ‘child star’ and not a ‘child artist’. Mr Amrish Puri, Mr fledged Bollywood career? n“ o regrets,” Apparently, I was the highest paid child Kulbhushan Kharban- says Valecha, whose current favourite actor actor of my time. I was paying income tax da, and above all, the is Aamir Khan. when I was 10 years old!” recalls Valecha, director, Mr Ramesh “But as I said earlier, I am trying to get as he opened up to Qatar Tribune. Sippy. They were all back into the industry. There is a saying From a child star in Bollywood, he stalwarts of the film here that once you enter the industry, it’s graduated to a career in the hospitality industry. It was really very difficult to get it out of you. So now industry. “Mr Manmohan Desai (the leg- exciting for me to do that that I have done whatever I had wanted to endary filmmaker-director ofAmar Akbar film at such a young age. do in my professional life, I am willing to Anthony fame), who was a mentor to me, Master Ravi I remember the love and take the plunge. And I hope and pray that I suggested that I quit films for sometime affection showered upon succeed.”.

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