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Master Ravi’s Journey From Child Star to Hospitality Leader
Ravi Valecha became an actor when he was only four years old.
Shashi Kapoor saw his confidence and helped him get a role in a movie.
Ravi acted in more than 300 films and often played a young version of Amitabh Bachchan.
He earned a lot of money for a child actor in the 1980s.
However, working from childhood meant he missed much of a normal childhood and teenage life.
A filmmaker planned to launch him as an adult hero, but that did not happen after the filmmaker died.
Ravi then studied cooking and became a professional chef.
He later built a career in the hospitality industry.
He is also working on a film institute and has begun therapy to address painful experiences from his childhood.
Ravi Valecha, known as Master Ravi, began acting at age four after Shashi Kapoor noticed him on the set of Fakira.
He worked in more than 300 films across nine languages during a 14-year child-acting career.
Ravi reportedly earned Rs 3,000–3,500 per day in the 1980s and became known as “Junior Amitabh Bachchan.”
He says his success came at the cost of losing much of his childhood and teenage years, and he has also spoken about childhood abuse.
After leaving acting, Ravi trained as a chef, worked with the Taj, entered hospitality administration and pursued plans for a low-cost film institute.
- Who
- Ravi Valecha, popularly known as Master Ravi, along with actors and filmmakers including Shashi Kapoor and Manmohan Desai.
- What
- A profile of Ravi’s career as a child actor, his transition into cooking and hospitality, and his continuing personal and creative ambitions.
- Where
- He worked across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu film industries, later studied at IIH Mumbai and worked with the Taj.
- When
- Ravi acted from 1976 for about 14 years, working through his childhood until age 18; he earned Rs 3,000–3,500 per day in the 1980s.
- Why
- He moved away from acting after his planned launch as a leading man did not happen, choosing education and a career in hospitality instead.
Key facts
- Birth of acting career
- Ravi made his debut in Fakira after Shashi Kapoor noticed him on set when he was four.
- Film output
- He worked in more than 300 films across nine languages over approximately 14 years.
- Peak earnings
- He reportedly earned Rs 3,000–3,500 per day in the 1980s.
- Screen nickname
- His performances as a young Amitabh Bachchan led to the nickname “Junior Amitabh Bachchan.”
- Career change
- Ravi graduated as a professional chef, worked with the Taj and later entered hospitality administration.
- Planned film institute
- He is working toward establishing an affordable acting institute.
- Personal challenges
- Ravi has spoken about childhood abuse, its effect on his anger and his later decision to begin therapy.
Quotes
Ravi Valecha
Former child actor who performed as Master Ravi
“I lost too many things. In life, you cannot achieve anything without sacrificing something. I earned name, fame and wealth. But I lost my childhood as I was working from age 4 to age 18”
indianexpress.com
“I was the one and only child star. Like how they say Rajesh Khanna was the first superstar, similarly, Master Ravi was the first child star.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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