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Ravi Kishan is internet’s newest NATIONAL TREASURE and India’s most wholesome meme SUPERSTAR: How his unfiltered charm, hilarious clips, NON-THREATENING persona won over Gen Z


If you are an active social media user with a particular interest in current affairs and movies, chances are your timeline is currently flooded with Reels of Ravi Kishan. The veteran film and political personality has always been a favourite of the netizens. But this year, his popularity has reached another level, and the past week has played a huge role in it.

Ravi Kishan is internet’s newest NATIONAL TREASURE and India’s most wholesome meme SUPERSTAR: How his unfiltered charm, hilarious clips, NON-THREATENING persona won over Gen Z

Ravi Kishan began his career working in Hindi films in the 90s. But it was Tere Naam (2003) that got him the much-needed attention. In 2006, he rocked the show as the totla sidekick in Phir Hera Pheri (2006). The same year, he appeared in Season 1 of Bigg Boss, which made him a household name.

Ever since, Ravi Kishan has been consistently doing great work in different film industries of the country. He also became popular in politics and, at present, is also an MP from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. In 2024, his track record got a boost with Laapataa Ladies. His portrayal of an honest but quirky police officer won hearts. The film released on March 1, 2024, the same day when Netflix dropped the first season of Maamla Legal Hai, featuring the actor as a lawyer. Both titles went hand-in-hand in making Ravi Kishan an actor to watch out for.

Long before Laapataa Ladies and Maamla Legal Hai, Ravi Kishan had achieved iconic status in the world of memes. It all began with a clip of him from the 2014 Telugu film Race Gurram, popularly known to Hindi audiences as Main Hoon Lucky: The Racer. The impact of Ravi’s frantic dance moves and epic reactions was amplified around five years ago when someone added the line ‘Ve Mera Dola Ni Aaya Dola’ from a song in Shershaah (2021) to the video. Somehow, the two fit together like a match made in heaven.

However, it was this year that Ravi Kishan’s meme popularity entered a new phase. A video of him outside Parliament went viral after he was heard saying ‘Jaldi the late’ while surrounded by the media. A few months later, another clip surfaced in which he mistakenly said ‘home from work’ instead of ‘work from home’.

In mid-July, a clip from the Bhojpuri film Kanoon Hamra Mutthi Mein (2012) broke the internet. In the scene, Ravi Kishan’s character struggles in an intense tag-team arm-wrestling match against multiple opponents. Suddenly, Nagma leans towards him and kisses him, giving him a surge of energy (complete with lightning effects) that enables him to overpower his rivals.

The video was widely shared, though the craze surrounding Ravi Kishan had begun to die down to some extent. Then, a few days ago, a months-old video of the actor went viral, in which he can be seen passionately singing the devotional song ‘Har Har Bhole Namah Shivaya’.

The clip opened the floodgates, triggering what can only be described as a Ravi Kishan special week on the internet. Netizens began unearthing and sharing several priceless gems – from Ravi Kishan and Manoj Tiwari posing like cool dudes and hilariously arguing in English to Ravi dancing without a care at promotional events. Youngsters also unleashed their creativity, turning these clips into a variety of hilarious memes and edits. What has amazed everyone is the seemingly endless supply of videos featuring Ravi Kishan doing something memorable, each one worthy of going viral. As our colleague Anand perfectly remarked, “Ravi Kishan is a gift that keeps giving.”

Analyzing the unique phenomenon

What has also worked well is the attitude of Ravi Kishan in real life. He has been asked about it and his answer won hearts. At the trailer launch of Maa Behen, he confessed, “I swear on Mahadev, mujhe nahi malum main kyun viral hota hoon! I ended up saying ‘home from work’. The other day, I said ‘Jaldi the late’. I should have said ‘Work from home’. But then I am a human. Do people think that I am not a human? People assume that I have come from another planet. I am human, and I make mistakes just like all of you, and I will continue to do so in the future. Hence, why do you guys make me viral, I don’t know!”

Sometime later, at the trailer launch of Dhamaal 4, he was asked to comment on his 2013 Bhojpuri film, incidentally titled Dhurandhar. He remarked, “Mere zindagi mein aise dhoom dhadake hote hai! I had worked in a film called Dhurandhar. It was also in the same zone as (the 2025 film Dhurandhar). But it was in Bhojpuri and was made in a certain budget. Ab usko (Dhurandhar of Bollywood) dekhne ke chakkar mein ya Dhurandhar (ke wave) mein sabne meri waali Dhurandhar jham ke dekh li. So, thank you so much (laughs). Its producers and its right holders have suddenly become crorepatis now!”

His videos may be iconic, but his non-threatening and endearing persona has also contributed significantly to his growing fandom. He does not give off an intimidating vibe. Netizens feel that even if they were to meet him in real life, they could comfortably bring up his viral videos without worrying that he would take offence.

Moreover, this is not a case of the social media generation looking down upon him or making fun of him. Yes, people are amused by some of his antics, but the humour largely comes from a place of genuine affection. Several videos carry captions such as ‘Protect him, he’s a national treasure’ and ‘National crush’. While such descriptions may be exaggerated, they somehow seem perfectly suited to Ravi Kishan, who has suddenly emerged as one of the internet’s most cherished personalities.

At a time when the older generation is struggling to connect with Gen Z, Ravi Kishan offers a simple lesson in how it can be done: be yourself, express yourself uninhibitedly and, most importantly, be genuine. People can easily sense when someone is trying too hard to appear cool and when that person is naturally relaxed and unfiltered. In Ravi Kishan’s case, it is evident that he is enjoying the attention without taking it too seriously. That honesty and easy-going attitude come through clearly in his interactions. No wonder he has emerged as one of the internet’s most entertaining and lovable personalities. We now cannot wait for more Ravi Kishan treasures to flood our screens, and we hope that they arrive sooner or rather ‘jaldi’ and not later!

Also Read: Ravi Kishan reveals how he lost 18 kilos without weight-loss drugs at 57: “I am on a one-meal diet, intermittent fasting or exclusively on fruits”

The post Ravi Kishan is internet’s newest NATIONAL TREASURE and India’s most wholesome meme SUPERSTAR: How his unfiltered charm, hilarious clips, NON-THREATENING persona won over Gen Z appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.





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