Happy Birthday to the actor who became a household name for his portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's ‘Ramayan.’
Celebrated for his iconic portrayal of Lord Rama in the classic TV series ‘Ramayan,’ Arun Govil, the actor-turned-politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party, marks his 72nd birthday today. Currently serving as the Member of Parliament for Meerut Lok Sabha constituency since June 2024, Govil's rise to fame began with notable roles in Kanak Mishra's ‘Sawan Ko Aane Do’ and Satyen Bose's ‘Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin.’ His television journey kicked off with Ramanand Sagar's ‘Vikram Aur Betaal’, but it was his portrayal of Lord Rama in ‘Ramayan’ that earned him fame and the prestigious Uptron Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1988. Govil also shared screen space with Sridevi in the film ‘Himmatwala’. Let's explore more about this fascinating aspect of his career.
Before becoming synonymous with Lord Rama in ‘Ramayan,’ Arun Govil played a supporting role in K. Raghavendra Rao’s 1983 blockbuster ‘Himmatwala,’ featuring Sridevi and Jeetendra as the leads. Four years before his iconic portrayal in ‘Ramayan,’ Govil played a deaf and dumb character in this hit film. Interestingly, his journey with mythological cinema continued as he later reunited with Jeetendra in V. Madhusudhan Rao’s 1997 film ‘Lav Kush,’ where he portrayed Lakshman, while Jeetendra and Jaya Prada took on the roles of Lord Rama and Sita.
(Credit: Times of India)
After honing his acting skills through college dramas, Arun Govil decided to pursue a career in acting. His big break in Indian cinema came with the 1977 film ‘Paheli,’ directed by Prashanta Nanda. Govil was introduced to Tarachand Barjatya by his sister-in-law, Tabassum, leading to Barjatya being so impressed with his performances that he offered Govil a three-film deal. This included ‘Sawan Ko Aane Do’ by Kanak Mishra, ‘Raadha Aur Seeta’ by Vijay Kapoor, and ‘Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin’ by Satyen Bose. The success of ‘Sawan Ko Aane Do’ brought Govil stardom, with ‘Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin’ also becoming a box office hit.
Years after his iconic role in ‘Ramayan,’ Govil appeared in several films, including ‘Muqabla’, ‘Hathkadi’, ‘Dhaal’, and ‘Do Aankhein Barah Haath’. Recently, he was featured in the film ‘Article 370’ and is set to portray Dasharatha in the upcoming ‘Ramayana Part 1’ film.
