Meet Ravi Katapadi – Udupi’s Anodyne in Disguise

In the last six years, this daily wages earner and his friends have collected more than Rs. 54.50 lakh for needy children with donations from generous donors.

The story of Ravi Katapadi, a resident from Udupi, Karnataka, an artist cum daily-wage-earner, defies contemporary living.

Known for his philanthropic mission worth a thousand smiles, this real-life hero has a unique idea behind supporting his cause. In this account, The Voices team unravels the story of this saviour in disguise, his journey, and the vision ahead.

Recognised for his continuous efforts in raising funds, Ravi Katapadi is a 35-year-old daily wage worker in the construction sector in Udupi, Karnataka. He is known to provide financial aid to the families of ill children aged between 1-15 years suffering from any disorder or disease.

Katapadi disguises himself as a monster who goes around in the city every year on the popular occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtmi and collects money to support the needy.

The Idea

Recalling ‘the deciding moment’ Katapadi shares- “The story dates back to 2013 when I watched a news story on a television channel about a month-old child whose hand was injured during delivery. The poor family of the child was expecting generous people to help them. The incident touched me. That’s when I decided to do something and discussed it with my friends”. 

As Katapadi used to entertain people way back from 2010 with his unique characters, the team decided to leverage the same activity to raise funds for the child.

First Success

Katapadi and his friends decided to don a unique character in 2015 with a different motive this time and announced that the money collected will be used for the treatment of the child’s injury.

Surprisingly, Katapadi and his friends together collected Rs 1,04, 810 on their very first mission. It was the first time the daily wage construction worker had handled such a big amount.

The team handed over the money to the child’s parents and the surgery of the child was undertaken by the generous doctors of a private hospital who rendered their service free.

The Uniqueness

The costumes adorned by Katapadi and his team members are inspired by the fictional movie characters from Hollywood. His very first character was The lizard from Spider Man since then the list includes Faun from Guillermo del Toro’s, and Krampus the half goat-half demon of central European folklore.

Barriers Faced

While discussing the struggles, one constant barrier that he has faced is less work. Due to his popularity, contractors did not want him working in their construction sites. However, he persisted and now speaks about how good he feels about what he does. Further, he mentions that collecting money for making such elegant and detailed looking costumes is not as big of an issue as much as wearing them is.  He says “It takes me 24 hours to get ready. I sip tender coconut water and other juices during these three days as I can’t eat anything. There were times when I have developed skin rashes from the paint that is used on my body, but I don’t mind it as it is for a good cause.”

A Lifetime Commitment

In their efforts to raise funds, Katapadi and his friends have made a condition for their charity work. They’ve restricted the age limit up to 15 years and in no condition, the collected money is used for any personal use.

The evidence of their selfless commitment was when a few years ago, Katapadi had a family situation. His niece was ill and required finances for her treatment. Many people suggested that he use the money that he and his team collected, but Katapadi refused to use the money as his niece didn’t meet the set age limit as she was 18 years old then. 

Every year Katapadi receives hundreds of applications seeking help. He visits the children personally and consults with the concerned doctor regarding the situation. He and his team collect information about the necessary amount required based on which team decides either they will do the fundraising or not.

Rewards of good deeds!

After hearing about his efforts in providing aides to the needful families,

 the Sony television channel offered him to be a part of their long-running TV show Kaun Banega Crorepati-12 where he won decent prize money of INR 12, 50, 000 to support his cause. Complimenting him for his practice, veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan referred to Katapadi as ‘Dariyadil Daanav’.

In the last 6 years, Ravi Katapadi and friends have collected more than Rs. 54.50 lakh for needy children with donations from generous donors.

What does the future look like?

Ravi Katapadi has remained single and considers marriage a “barrier’ that might come in the way of his cause. “I don’t want to stop helping the needy…getting married may come as a barrier in future as a family will require time, money and everything else, hence I’ve decided to commit this life to this cause and lead a content life” Katapadi says.

Edited by: Mohammed Sajid