Ravi Kishan’s daughter Ishita Shukla ditches Bollywood, chooses to join the Indian Army: A look at her education qualifications and other achievements

Unlike most starkids, Bhojpuri superstar-politician Ravi Kishan’s daughter, Ishita, recently hit the headlines – not for signing on the dotted line for her big Bollywood debut, but for joining the Indian Armed Forces. Actor Madhavan recently hailed the youngster for her unconventional choice - choosing to serve the nation rather than grace the silver screen.

In 2023, the Lapaata Ladies star took to Instagram and gushed about his daughter, who was then a cadet of the 7 Girls Battalion of the Delhi Directorate. Calling her “brave”, the actor highlighted that she had trained in the biting cold and braved the fog for the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path. Here’s what we know of the gutsy youngster.

She was born in Jaunpur and is one of the four kids of Ravi and his wife, Priti Shukla.


According to a Mid-Day report, Ishita is a graduate of Rajdhani College, a constituent college of Delhi University. Ishita attended PM Modi's NCC Rally in 2022 and was selected out of 1500 cadets to get an award for merit. At the age of 21, she formally applied and passed the selection process in 2023 to become a Mahila Agniveer in the Indian Defence Forces under the newly established Agnipath recruitment system.

Ishita also has a strong interest in professional photography. She has earned a reputation as a sniper shooter by competing in the All India Shooting Competition.

Ishita’s decision also recalls R. Madhavan’s own early association with military training. While studying in college, Madhavan took an active interest in military-related extracurricular activities through the National Cadet Corps (NCC). At 22, he was reportedly recognised as one of Maharashtra’s top NCC cadets, an achievement that earned him the opportunity to travel to England along with seven fellow cadets. During the visit, he underwent training and gained exposure to the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. Madhavan had reportedly contemplated making a career in the armed forces. However, his plans could not materialise after he missed the eligibility age requirement by six months, preventing him from joining the programme.