Former child artiste Ravi Valecha, who became a familiar face in Hindi cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, has opened up about the sexual exploitation he says he experienced while working in the film industry as a child. Valecha, who appeared in around 300 films across multiple languages, revealed that the abuse began when he was about eight years old.
Ravi Valecha’s film career as child artist
Valecha was known for playing younger versions of Amitabh Bachchan in several films and featured in popular titles including Amar Akbar Anthony, Coolie, Mr Natwarlal, Fakira, Tumhare Bina, Khuddar, Nastik, Parichay, Yaadon Ki Baarat, Karz, Seeta Aur Geeta and Desh Premee. Despite his successful career as a child actor, he says his experiences behind the scenes left him carrying trauma for decades.
Speaking about his childhood, Valecha recalled that he faced abuse three times during his years in the industry. The first incident, according to him, took place at a dubbing studio, where an older man from the industry asked him to sit on his lap. He also described a more disturbing experience involving a young secretary who had been hired to accompany him to film shoots.
Valecha said the secretary would repeatedly touch him inappropriately while they travelled in taxis and cars. He recalled feeling unable to speak about what was happening because the same person was expected to accompany him to work every day. The situation became even more distressing during an outdoor shoot when his parents were not around.
Ravi Valecha talks about facing abuse at 8
According to Valecha, he was around 11 or 12 at the time when the secretary allegedly abused him in a hotel room. He said he did not know how to react or whom he could approach for help. Fear also prevented him from telling his parents, as he worried they might not believe him.
“There was nobody I could talk to,” Valecha recalled, describing how he kept the experiences buried for years. He said the trauma eventually affected his personal life, with the anger and emotional pain he had suppressed resurfacing later.
Valecha eventually stepped away from acting and went on to build a career in the hospitality sector. However, he said the memories remained deeply embedded in his mind.
Therapy eventually helped him confront the experiences he had suppressed since childhood. He underwent six months of therapy, which, he said, helped him understand the extent of the trauma and brought him a sense of relief.
Now, Valecha has chosen to speak publicly about his experiences, hoping to break the silence surrounding abuse of boys and children. He said he no longer feels the need to hide what happened and is comfortable discussing his past openly.