Ravi Behl

Some Lesser Known Facts About Ravi Behl

• Ravi Behl is an Indian actor and producer. He is known as the co-producer and judge of the popular dance competition television series ‘Boogie Woogie’ (1996-2014). His performances in films like ‘Narsimha’ (1991) and ‘Agni Sakshi’ (1996) earned him considerable recognition. After a break of over 20 years, Ravi Behl made a comeback to acting in 2023, which cause quite a stir in the media.

• Behl was born into a Punjabi Hindu family. ^[4]Tabassum Talkies – YouTube

  

• From a young age, Ravi Behl was deeply inspired by the American martial artist Bruce Lee. This admiration led him to learn karate from a boy named Suresh, who was a black belt in karate. While talking about this in an interview, Behl added that he also saved money to buy a nunchaku from a boy who lived in his building.

• Behl, in an interview, revealed how his love for karate and nunchaku led to his debut in Hindi cinema with the film ‘Morchha’ (1980). Ravikant Nagaich, a veteran cinematographer, was visiting Ravi’s home to see his father when he noticed Ravi’s martial arts skills. Observing Ravi practice karate and do nunchaku tricks in front of the mirror piqued his interest, and he approached Ravi’s mother, Savita, suggesting that Ravi could have a potential acting career.

• After debuting in Hindi cinema, Ravi appeared in many other films such as Ravi Rastogi in ‘Narsimha’ (1991), Inder in ‘Dalaal’ (1993), Ravi Kapoor in ‘Agni Sakshi’ (1996), and Arun in ‘Ghulam-E-Mustafa’ (1997).

  

• In 1994, Ravi played the role of ‘Prince Nandu’ in the British television series ‘The Far Pavilions.’ Behl, in an interview, shared a story about landing the role in the series and mentioned that he was offered the role as the actor initially chosen for the part fell ill. During the shoot of the series, the renowned American film director Steven Spielberg visited the set. Spielberg was scouting for locations for the film ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom’ and was there to meet Amy Irving, the lead actress in ‘The Far Pavilions.’ Irving was so captivated by Behl’s performance that she felt compelled to introduce him to Spielberg, saying, ‘you have to meet this Indian actor.’ ^[5]The Times of India

  

• Ravi was inclined towards dance since he was young. He took part in various dance competitions and secured great positions. In an interview, while talking about this, he discussed how his childhood friends, actor Jaaved Jaffrey and television director Naved Jaffrey, also shared his love for dance. It was this mutual passion that inspired them to create a dance show, a concept that had never been previously introduced in India; Behl appeared as a judge in the dance competition television series titled ‘Boogie Woogie’ (1996-2014), which he co-produced as well. Ravi, in the interview, said,
  

  Jaaved was a John Travolta kind of guy. I was more like Michael Jackson. We were passionate about music and dance.”

  

• Behl, in an interview, discussed his decision to take a 10-year break after his appearance in the show ‘Boogie Woogie.’ He shared that he started working at the age of 11 due to his father’s demise, causing him to feel a sense of deprivation from a normal childhood. This experience, he explained, partly drove his decision to step back for a decade. ^[6]The Times of India

• In addition to his acting career, Ravi Behl has also explored the world of music. He has sung several songs including ‘Ladkiyan’ (1998), ‘Jab Koi Tha’ (1998), ‘Bol Bol Sach Bol’ (1998), and ‘Har Pal’ (2000). He was also featured in the music videos of these songs.

  

• Ravi has worked in web series well. In 2023, Ravi appeared as ‘Jaiveer Singh’ in the crime thriller series ‘The Night Manager,’ which is a remake of the British television series ‘The Night Manager’ (2016); it was adapted from the British-Irish writer John Le Carre’s novel bearing the same title.

  

• Ravi talked about his decision to start acting again after a break of more than two decades, a choice he made during the Covid-19 lockdown. He mentioned that he became quite lethargic during this period, to the point where he opted not to shave his beard which resulted in a distinctive look that contributed to him securing a role in the 2023 web series ‘The Night Manager’.