Arun Govil was not convinced about playing Lakshman after becoming popular as Lord Ram, but the makers of Lav Kush had other plans. The veteran actor has now opened up about how he was cast opposite Jeetendra in the 1997 mythological film despite expressing his reservations. Looking back, Arun feels his concerns about the casting were justified, as the film failed to find an audience.
Arun Govil recalled that the makers wanted him to play Lakshman while Jeetendra was cast as Lord Ram. Having already played Ram in Ramanand Sagar's iconic television show Ramayan, the actor felt that taking up the role of his younger brother would not be the right move. However, the makers were keen on having him in the film.
“In the film Lav Kush, where Jeetendra played Ram, they wanted me as Lakshman. I had told the producer it's not right; don't make me play the character of Lakshman, but they did not listen. They wanted me. I said, ‘Okay, let's do it.' But then, look what happened. The film didn't even run for one day. Nobody knows about that film,” Arun Govil told Variety India in an interview.
Released in 1997, Lav Kush was directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao and produced by Dilip Kanikaria under the Devyank Arts banner. The film featured Jeetendra as Lord Ram, Jaya Prada as Sita, Arun Govil as Lakshman, Dara Singh as Hanuman and Pran as Valmiki.
Despite its mythological subject and familiar faces, the film failed to make an impact at the box office.
Arun Govil's hesitation about the role also came from the strong association audiences had already developed with him as Lord Ram. His portrayal in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, which aired between 1987 and 1988, had made him a household name. Even decades later, the actor says people continue to address him by the name of the deity.
“Even today, people see me as Lord Ram. They even call me Ramji. They don't call me Arun Govil. Even today, in my constituency (he is a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, representing the Meerut constituency), all the people address me as Ramji. And they also come with the thought: ‘You are Ramji, you tell us what to do.' Even in the political field, whoever I meet, they believe, ‘We have come to you, now our work will get done',” the actor said.
Meanwhile, Arun Govil is back in the mythological space with Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana. In the film produced by Yash and Namit Malhotra, the veteran actor plays King Dashrath, Lord Ram's father.
The movie stars Ranbir Kapoor as Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana and Ravie Dubey as Lakshman.
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