Dev Raturi is an actor and martial arts enthusiast who moved to China from a small village in Uttarakhand because of his love of Bruce Lee. Having performed in over 35 movies, he has become a well-known Chinese actor.
In the Uttarakhand village of Khemria, in the Tehri Garhwal area, Dev Rathuri was born and raised. He was raised in a tiny stone home with five siblings by a farming family. The family, without a house of their own, was living in abject poverty.
At the time, Dev was a boy and was unaware of the familial circumstances. His life’s goal is to become a martial arts expert like Bruce Lee. The endearing tale of Dev, who looks up to the ambitious Bruce Lee and wants to be just like him…
The perfect man, Bruce Lee…
Dev ran home one day in 1997 after getting back from school. There is no purpose to that run. A boy named Dev finds a way to rent the video cassette “Dragon: The Bruce Lee.” To see the movie, he ran.
He didn’t grasp English while attending a government school. since he didn’t learn ABCD until he was studying for the sixth grade. But since the performers in the movies spoke English slowly, he could understand the language. For Dev, however, the scenes are all that Bruce Lee is; the conversation is secondary. The life of Bruce Lee, the legendary martial artist, captivated him.
The fictitious facts that Dev gathered about Bruce Lee’s upbringing as a schoolboy helped to mold him into the man he is today. In addition to staring in at least 35 Chinese films and TV dramas, Trapped, My Roommate is a Detective, Strange Legend of Tang Dynasty, and Wolf Pack have helped him become a successful actor. He has also opened 13 restaurants and started his own business. Even more fascinating is the fact that Dev’s inspirational journey is currently being taught as a subject in Chinese classrooms.
Despite emerging as a hero, he did not achieve the level of success he enjoys today as shown in the movies. Dev was driven by an enormous desire to perform in movies, but he had to take care of his family first. He chose to start working in order to improve the family’s financial situation.
Upon finishing his studies in class 10, he proceeded to Delhi in search of employment. He took any job that came up, including waitressing, driving, and selling milk, without turning it down.
To pursue his passion, Nadi then traveled to Mumbai in 1998 to look for his brother, who was employed by a film production company. In order to live in the city, he started working in security. Whenever he had time, he and his brother would go to the shooting place.
There he met Puneeth Issar, the first-ever Hindustani series director and the actor who portrayed Duryodhana in the epic series Mahabharata. Dev even had the opportunity to say a few lines in front of the camera one day.
“I considered this to be the beginning of my acting career. I enthusiastically memorized the dialogue I delivered when I had the chance. However, my knees began to shake and a brilliant light flashed over my face as soon as he said, “Lights, Camera, Action.” I was unable to speak at all. “I was unable to. I learned then that acting is not an easy task,” he says.
From hotel manager to hotel server!
Dev, crushed, went back to Delhi and took a job as a waiter in a restaurant. He spent his days wiping down dishes and tables.
“What is your dream, a friend asked me one day? Would you not like to travel to China to study martial arts and pursue a career in acting? I didn’t know how to respond to him. However, my interest in Bruce Lee and my ambition to master martial arts did not fade. The moment was right. The chance to visit China presented itself.”
Dev had the opportunity to meet the proprietor of a few Indian eateries in China. Additionally, he extended an offer for employment in China. Dev seized the moment, having been waiting for it for an extended period of time. He took a plane to China in 2005 and began working as an employee there. However, his role is not limited to serving others, is it? He therefore studied martial arts at night and worked as a server at a restaurant during the day.
Bruce Lee was also employed at a Chinese restaurant as a dishwasher. That’s how my life was when I moved to China,” Dev remarked.
He went from being an employee to a supervisor to general manager in just five years. Dev has also opened 13 restaurants in strategic areas of China, building a strong brand.
“I never believed in taking short routes, which is why I’ve made tremendous progress. I watched interviews with losers on the internet to hone my skills. Without a degree in hotel administration, my monthly income ranged from Rs 15,000 to Rs 3.5 million. To strengthen my talents, I worked eight hours instead of eight,” explains Dev, the owner of the Amber Palace restaurant in Xi’an.
The eatery that opened into the movie theater!
He opened a stunning restaurant in the province of Chengdu in 2015. Tang, a Chinese filmmaker, happened to visit the restaurant and was taken aback by its ambience. Devin intends to film a little scene in the eatery. A cameo in a cameo during the restaurant shoot was also offered to Dev. That marked the start of Dev’s cinematic career.
‘Swat’ was the television show on which he initially appeared. He is a well-known actor now, having appeared in over 35 motion pictures. Moreover, Chinese schools already offer a course on Dev’s inspirational story. Dev, an Indian, has not lost his heritage despite experiencing success in China.
He has hired about 100 people, some of whom are from his hometown. Thirty percent of his income is given to Chinese and Indian charitable organizations. Despite not having a degree in hotel management or acting, he is invited to teach at numerous Chinese universities. About his life, at least twenty documentaries have been produced. All of this is a result of his unwavering diligence and determination.
“Never let your passion fade if you have one for anything. From a little hill village in Uttarakhand, this phrase has helped me achieve heights I never could have dreamed,” stated Dev.
