How Lord Ram's Role In Ramayan Distanced Arun Govil From Commercial Cinema

Actor Arun Govil is known for his iconic role of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, which aired on Doordarshan in 1987. His portrayal as Lord Ram made him a household name and shot him to immense popularity. Such was his acting chops, that to date he is revered by the audience and often other actors who have played Lord Ram on-screen are compared with him. Hence, it comes as no surprise that he is one of the honourable guests invited to Ayodhya for the Ram Lalla consecration ceremony. In an interview, he revealed how his role in the mythological serial from more than 30 years ago impacted his life.

His role in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan was the pinnacle of his career, which, according to him, did not benefit him financially. Before essaying the role of Maryada Purshottam Lord Ram, he had starred in a handful of movies, but could not make much of an impact. He also starred in one of the most popular shows of Doordarshan before Ramayan was made, Vikram Aur Betaal.

But, his career witnessed a breakthrough after the audience saw him essay the role of Lord Ram. His influence was such on the show, that wherever he went later, he was referred to as Bhagwan and people touched his feet to seek his blessings. As per Indian Express, after Ramayan, he found it difficult to get versatile roles as an actor. He was seen playing mythological roles in Luv Kush, Vishwamitra and Jai Veer Hanuman.

In an interview, he confessed to having a challenging time securing lead roles in movies because of his portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramayan. He said that the response he got from Ramanand Sagar’s serial led to both good and bad things for him. According to him, he “got a lot of respect and honour”, but it distanced him from commercial movies. Filmmakers would tell him that the image of Lord Ram was so strong that they had to ponder upon what role to offer him.

After Ramayan, Arun Govil was roped in for movies like Muqabla, Hathkadi and Do Aankhen Barah Haath to name a few. He was cast in supporting roles. He later appeared in Star Plus’ Pal Chhin and Zee TV’s Basera. Very recently, he appeared in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Jubilee and OMG 2, where he was shown as an antagonist.