Meet Dev Raturi, the Indian actor who features in Chinese textbook

Dev Raturi, a 46-year-old man from Uttarakhand, had a deep passion for acting since childhood and idolized Bruce Lee. Born in 1976 in the small village of Kemriya-saur in Uttarakhand's Tehri Garhwal, Dev's father was a farmer. His love for movies began early on, and he aspired to follow in the footsteps of his hero. In pursuit of his dream, he ran away to Mumbai and auditioned for a role in 1998, but unfortunately, he didn't succeed.

Despite facing initial setbacks, Dev Raturi remained determined to achieve his dream. It wasn't until more than a decade later that his first film finally got released. Today, Dev Raturi's fame has soared to the extent that his inspiring rags-to-riches story is a part of the Class 7 English textbook in Xi'an City.

In 2005, he decided to try his luck in China and started working as a waiter in an Indian restaurant in Shenzhen, earning 1650 Yuan as his first salary.

“While working as a waiter in the restaurant for a monthly salary of Rs 10,000, I gained proficiency in Mandarin. My dream of getting trained in martial arts kept me up at night. However, my hopes were shattered after the locals there told me that for further training I need to go to the Shaolin Temple, a renowned monastic institution recognised as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu, which I couldn’t afford," Raturi told TOI.

While in China, Dev Raturi made the most of his time by learning Chinese and within two years, he became the manager of a restaurant in Beijing. He rapidly climbed the ladder and eventually opened a chain of restaurants in various Chinese cities like Xi'an, Beijing, and others.

He added, “I had no option but to persevere. I worked hard for the next seven years and rose to the rank of manager at a high-end restaurant. In 2013, I managed to open my own restaurant, Red Fort, in Xi’an. I’ve based it on India’s rich cultural heritage.”

In 2017, Dev's dream of appearing in a Chinese movie came true when he secured a role in the film "Special Swat," albeit in a small negative role. This opportunity opened the doors to the Chinese film industry for him.

"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," he told CGTN Digital a few years ago. "I never forgot about my dream."

By 2019, Dev Raturi had achieved significant success, landing prominent roles in several Chinese movies. He also appeared in Chinese television series like 'Republic of China Agent,' where he played the role of a detective, and 'Big Harbour,' where he portrayed the chief of police.

"My work in Chinese cinema helped me become a popular face. I have received immense love from locals who helped me during the Covid-19 pandemic. They have adopted me as their own," said Raturi, who has acted in 35 Chinese films and TV serials.

Raturi, who lives in Xi'an with his wife Anjali and two sons, Arav and Arnav, has brought over close to 150 unemployed men from his village in Uttarakhand to China and provided them with jobs and his native remains close to his heart.