In 2005, Dev Raturi, who is a now a superstar of Chinese cinema, landed in China with the help of a friend who bought air tickets for him.
Dev Raturi from a small village in Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal district is now a movie star in the world’s most populous nation. Dev Raturi has worked in 20 Chinese films and web series since 2015 and has acted with popular Chinese stars like Liu Tao, Wu Gang, Zhang Jin, Li Zhiting, and Qiao Zhenyu, among others.
Dev Raturi's illustrious journey started in 1998 when he went to Mumbai to become an actor. Dev ran away from his uncle’s house in New Delhi to chase his dreams. "It was Bruce Lee who inspired me," Raturi told CGTN Digital. After reaching Mumbai, Dev realized that it is not easy to become an actor and make a name for himself in Bollywood. "For months, I was just sitting behind the crowds … clapping and running. I didn't even get a chance to face the camera," he recalled.
Dev Raturi returned to Delhi after staying in Mumbai for six months and started learning martial arts. Dev worked as a waiter at that time to make two ends meet. "I never stopped thinking about Bruce Lee and China, even when I was wiping tables and washing dishes as a waiter," said Raturi.
In 2005, Dev finally landed in China with the help of a friend who bought air tickets for him. "I came empty-handed to China. I had no money and no job," he said. Dev worked at a restaurant in China for seven years before opening his hotel in 2013. Dev now owns 8 restaurants in China.
Dev got so busy in running his business that the desire to become an actor started fading away but then a stroke of luck brought him to the world acting. "A Chinese filmmaker visited my restaurant. He was looking for a location to shoot and an actor for a low-budget online movie. I readily offered to act," Raturi told CGTN Digital. "I never forgot about my dream."
Dev Raturi started his acting career in 2015 and has played several characters till now. "It's not true that I am always the bad guy in the movie," he said, adding, "I am playing an astronaut, a master chef, and a film producer in my upcoming films."
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