Actor-politician Ravi Kishan has thrown his weight behind a growing demand for television to be recognised at the National Awards. After TV producer Binaifer Kohli recently called for a National Award category for television, Kishan says he will take the suggestion forward and write to the ministry to formally propose it.
“I will write to the ministry to create a category for TV shows in the National Film Awards. This will enhance the quality of content and performances on television and create pressure on them to deliver. It can be implemented for different regional languages as well,” Kishan tells HT City, following his comments at the trailer launch of his upcoming film Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! Fun On The Run on Saturday.
With several projects in the pipeline across OTT and cinema, Kishan says National-level recognition for TV could encourage stronger storytelling, including shows rooted in India’s history and culture. He added that the honour could either be introduced as a separate ceremony or integrated into the existing National Film Awards.
“While there are several awards for television in the country, receiving a National Award offers a different prestige,” he says.
This isn’t the first time Kishan has sought policy attention for industry concerns. Earlier, he had submitted a private member’s bill on the struggles actors face later in life after spending years in the profession.
With 35 years of experience across television formats, from early fiction roles to reality shows, Kishan adds, “I will keep raising issues and do my best.”
Having won the Sansad Ratan Award last year and several film awards for his performance in Laapataa Ladies (2024), he says, “After all these years of hardwork, I am in the best phase of my life—as a star campaigner, a best parliamentarian, and winning all the best actor awards. I am balancing both acting and politics, and that is something our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and Chief Ministers (Yogi Adityanath) appreciate. So, I will keep raising issues and do my best.”
Concluding, he provided an example of his advocacy. “Last month in Parliament, I raised the issue that those filing false cases should be prosecuted. The Allahabad High Court passed an order last week stating that people filing false cases will be put under trial and punished.”
Audiences will soon see him in the second season of the OTT series Mamla Legal Hai, and in films including Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! Fun on the Run, Dhamaal 4, Mirzapur: The Film, and Maa Behan alongside Madhuri Dixit and Triptii Dimri.