Bhojpuri actor Dev Singh is a Shiva devotee. I am told that he fasts every Monday on Sawan.

Bhojpuri actor Dev Singh started his career in films with a few stage roles after which he turned villain and is now seen in lead roles in many films. He considers this journey as pure luck and is blessed by Lord Bholenath. He did not even forget to thank. A conversation with Urmila Kori on her journey, her struggle and her devotion to Shiva.

He had decided to become an actor after seeing Ashutosh Rana ji.

I would like to give all the credit to my luck for becoming an actor. I was a very shy kid in school and then in college. I used to hesitate even while talking to girls. I remember once a girl asked me my name and I started sweating. I always wanted to be a businessman. I also started studying CA in Kolkata. My father worked in coal mines, that is why I was born in Raniganj, Kolkata. Orchestral culture is very popular in Kolkata. One day on 15th August, my friends and I went to see the orchestra. There were a lot of people there. Everyone was sitting and I was standing behind. No one was nice to me. The people sitting on the stage knew me but they too ignored me after seeing me. I felt so bad about their behaviour that I mentally decided that one day these people will see me. I will not see them. Saying this I left. This touched my heart so much that I started thinking what should I do so that people start knowing me. I saw Ashutosh Rana ji in the serial Swabhiman. After that I also saw his films Sangharsh and Dushman. After this I decided that I wanted to do this job. I had decided that I wanted to do it but no one in the entire family knew a single thing about acting. Leaving aside acting, no one in the entire family had gone to Mumbai or Delhi. I used my brain and came to Delhi on the pretext of work and from there I came to Mumbai.

started with television
I started doing small roles in television. I did shows like Bhagya Vidhaata, CID, Crime Patrol. I had also done two Mahua shows. While I was struggling, my mother died and I couldn’t see her in her last moments, so I went into depression. She left Mumbai and moved to her village. There I ran a clothing store for 3 years. During this time, I got to know about Bhojpuri cinema and Bhojpuri artists like Nirahua, Khesari Lal because I spent most of my time in Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi. I had no idea. My brother-in-law is a big fan of Bhojpuri films. He gave me the CD of the Bhojpuri film Nirahua Rickshawala. Then Bhojpuri cinema came to my mind. I met director Rajkumar Pandey and requested him to give me a role in his film. At that time I was going crazy. Nirahua and Viraj Bhatt were in the lead. I had a scene with Viraj Bhatt. After doing a Bhojpuri film, I realised one thing that in television, payment was given after 3 months, in Bhojpuri films, money was received immediately. So my focus was only on Bhojpuri films. I kept doing small roles one after the other. Once, Awadhesh ji saw me acting somewhere. He saw some calibre in me. He gave me the role of the main villain in the film Sehra Bandh Kar Aaunga. Its hero was Khesari Lal Yadav. He gave me a lot of recognition in that film. After that, I started doing films continuously as a villain. After that, when the era of television came, I was offered the role of a hero as well.

I never thought of becoming a hero.
I am the hero of many television films. I also did a biopic on Singh Sahab, but I never dreamed of becoming a hero. Because my personality was not like that. I didn’t have enough money to spend on my face or on building my body. There was enough food to fill my stomach. That used to happen a lot. I used to go for auditions everywhere on foot so that I could save money. To be honest, there was no option of becoming a hero or a villain. There was only one thing I wanted – to become an actor. This is the reason I kept doing whatever work came my way. I have travelled from a scene to being a lead actor. Yes, now I think I should get a good job. I don’t want to repeat myself, but I am a family man. There are domestic needs too. We cannot make so much money from a film that we have to wait for four or five months, unless something good comes along, I won’t be able to survive for that long. We have to make films. Everyone knows that as the income starts increasing, the expenses also start increasing. He also has a son and also bought a house in Mira Road.

Experimentation does not happen in Bhojpuri films made for television.
Whatever Bhojpuri films are released on television. It has become completely dominated by women. There is not much left for male actors to do on television. Everything is happening according to the channel. My luck is a bit good. I have got good roles so far but I don’t know what will happen next. My next film Bhaiya More will play the Rakhi bond. This film will be released on Rakhi day. Apart from telling this, I will also say that I left many films during this period. There are very few such films in which I can act.

Casting directors do not consider Bhojpuri actors to be good actors.
Watching shows like Panchayat on OTT, I feel that I can do this too. I also keep giving auditions. I also gave auditions for the web series Khaki, but it didn’t happen. Nobody talks to us, but I know that in the mind of the casting director there is a feeling that in Bhojpuri films being an actor means. You won’t be able to act well. There are many Bhojpuri actors who do very good work. Well, I have never stopped giving auditions. I keep giving auditions continuously. I keep meeting people. See when luck favours you.

I am a devotee of Shiva
I am a great devotee of Shiva. Along with Shivratri, I fast on every Monday of Sawan. I have been doing this for the last 25 years. Earlier I would keep the fast even if I had nothing and today I keep it even if I have something. I have not asked God for anything till date. The only thing I say is that God should not have to extend his hand in front of anyone. Just please do this. I have also taken Kanwar on foot to Deoghar three times. Once when I was shooting in Deoghar, I went there for darshan. Baba Jha ji was there, he had done the puja and told me to go and come in three groups. After returning from there, I got married and had a child, but I have not been able to go there for 6 years. I have been thinking of going there for a long time, maybe I should go soon.