Hope more people from Jammu & Kashmir find a way to Bollywood: Mohit Raina

Mohit Raina is hopeful that artistes coming from his home state Jammu and Kashmir will gradually find a footing in entertainment business.

Raina, who grew up in the J&K, has cemented his base in the industry, has a loyal fan following through stints in films and TV and is living his childhood dream.

The actor believes with more exposure to the arts and commerce attached with it, people from the Valley would be encouraged to take the plunge.

"They are not exposed right now, the technicalities, the structure isn't as such that can shorten the distance or give them more avenues. Other states still have those avenues, which Jammu and Kashmir doesn't have.

"Jammu has a lot of theatre groups now, but Kashmir still has a dearth of it. If avenues can be reached upon, a lot of options given, maybe then we will have more talent to recognise from. I hope more people from there find a way here," Raina told PTI.

The actor, who became a household name with his portrayal of Lord Shiva in "Devon Ke Dev... Mahadev", said as a small town boy from J&K he never imagined to make a name for himself in showbiz.

"It is a typical story. A small town boy wakes up one day and decides to go to Mumbai to become... A hero.

"In my head a hero was someone who comes out of a big car, is surrounded by bodyguards and has these fans swooning around him. But then you realise it is not that."
"No one in my family had travelled in an aircraft in those days, in fact no one had even stepped out of Jammu and Kashmir. It was a huge deal to come here and be in front of the camera."
"But what drew me towards the story was the selflessness of the character. An actor is always greedy for good content and a 'Kaafir' doesn't happen everyday."