New Delhi [India], March 26 : Actor and parliamentarian Ravi Kishan attended the International Film Festival of Delhi (IFFD) 2026 on Thursday to promote his film 'Mahadev Ka Gorakhpur' and the upcoming second season of his Netflix hit 'Mamla Legal Hai,' and lauded the initiative as a testament to India's growing global stature.
Speaking to the media, Kishan credited the festival's success to a robust national vision.
He further extended his gratitude to the Delhi government and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, noting that the platform provides vital encouragement for domestic filmmakers to screen their work and engage with global media.
"Indian cinema will get a lot of strength from it. Indian film makers, new film makers, youth, will get a lot of strength from it," he added.
Reflecting on the history of the Bhojpuri film industry, Kishan traced its roots back to 1962 and the vision of India's first President, Rajendra Prasad.
Kishan highlighted the industry's resurgence, which has since provided employment to over 1,00,000 people.
"Bhojpuri industry has a history with a great writer. Rajendra Prasad Ji was our president in 1962. He wanted cinema to be made in Bhojpuri. Nazir Hussain made a film and it was planned in an airplane. The film was called 'Ganga Maiya', then the industry started. The industry shut down in the 90s. I was doing Hindi cinema. I was not getting any work. We got an offer from Bhojpuri. In the third phase, we started it with the help of Mahadev. We got a very big industry where 100,000 people got jobs. I have done 750 films and 450 Bhojpuri films. My Bhojpuri film also got a national award. The achievements are good," he said,
"Mahadev Ka Gorakhpur was made. Since I am a parliamentarian and I am busy with Hindi cinema, I am not able to do Bhojpuri. But of course, if I get a good script, I will do a wonderful and meaningful film very soon," he added.
Beyond cinema, Kishan took a moment to address global concerns on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Expressing hope for peace amidst international conflicts, he stated, "I pray that the war in the Middle East should stop so that the people of the world should get relief."
The IFFD 2026, organized by the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation, continues until March 31. The opening night on March 25, also honored industry veterans Sharmila Tagore, the late legendary actor Dharmendra, and Nandamuri Balakrishna with Lifetime Achievement Awards, celebrating their enduring contributions to Indian cinema.