Woh dekho, Ram ji ja rahe hain!
Arun Govil, the OG Ram of Indian television, has heard it many times over the last 39 years. Whenever he was spotted in public, people touched his feet, kissed his hands, broke down in tears and tried to find solace in his words.
Arun Govil knew the adulation was for Lord Ram, the character he played on screen.
From the age of television to the age of AI, if there's one thing that connects the ₹4,000-crore Ramayana with Ramanand Sagar's humble 78-episode serial, it is Arun Govil.
The OG Lord Ram plays Rama's father, King Dashrath, in Ranbir Kapoor-Sai Pallavi's epic, slated for a grand worldwide release on November 5.
Like life, Ramayana comes full circle for Arun Govil, who gracefully accepted the dictates of time and brought a dose of nostalgia, gravity and solemnity to the new venture.
In this article, let's revisit how Arun Govil manifests the divine spirit from the age of television to the age of AI.
Ramanand Sagar Rejected Him For Lord Ram
Arun Govil was not the first choice for Lord Ram. The actor, who is mostly known for one character throughout his career, was not the makers' first choice.
Recalling the casting, Arun Govil told news agency ANI, "From 1977, I started acting with Rajshri Pictures and with Sagar Saheb, I also worked in Anand Sagar's directorial Baadal, and I did Vikram Aur Betaal. Only then did I come to know that Sagar Saheb was making Ramayan, so I approached him. I wanted to play the character of Lord Ram. However, working in mythology was not considered a very standard thing at that time, and I was doing a lot of commercial films.
"My friends and family said, 'Don't do it; it is not good for you.'"
Ramanand Sagar took his audition and rejected him. He was offered the roles of Bharat and Lakshman, but Arun had his eyes fixed on Ram.
"He (Ramanand Sagar) took my audition and rejected me in the audition. His sons Prem Sagar, Moti Sagar and Anand Sagar asked me to play the characters of Bharat and Lakshman, but I said, 'I want to play the role of Lord Ram, and if I am not suitable for it, then it's fine.' Later, they selected someone else for the role," said Arun Govil.
A few days later, he was called and offered the role of Ram.
आपकी छवि क्या है औरों के हृदय में उससे ही आपकी महानता है।रामायण टीवी धारावाहिक को 35 वर्ष हो गए पर राम का चरित्र निभाने वाले अरुण गोविल आज भी सबके लिए प्रभु श्रीराम ही हैं। भावुक कर देने वाला क्षण। @arungovil12 https://t.co/4nM979xQl3
— Dr Sumita Misra IAS (@sumitamisra) September 30, 2022
Why Was He Chosen As King Dashrath?
Due to his age, Arun Govil cannot play Lord Rama in Nitesh Tiwari's film. But why was he chosen as King Dashrath? Is it mere nostalgia, or something else?
"When you have an actor who has been associated with Ram for so many generations, there is an instant emotional connect with him. The thought behind casting Arunji as Dasharatha was not just about nostalgia. The makers also felt audiences would enjoy seeing him return to the world of Ramayana in a completely different role. There was something very organic about bringing him back into this story, but this time as the father of Ram. It makes for a beautiful full-circle moment; the actor who defined Ram for an entire generation is now playing Rama's father," a source told India TV.
Arun Govil has said in many of his interviews that people used to worship television when Ramayana aired in the 1980s. People used to put garlands around the television set and place incense sticks in front of it.
Govil once expressed his reluctance when people touched his feet in a public space.
"Aapko kya pareshani hai? Hum apne man ki bhakti aur shraddha se us lok ke pair chhoo rahe hain jisne Ram ka charitra kiya hai," was the response Arun received from the people. And he could not counter it.
Career Came To A Standstill
Arun Govil started his career as a commercial hero. After playing Lord Ram, he wanted to revive his old image. But the producers rejected him as they could not come up with something new for him. His image was 'eternally' etched as Lord Ram. The film veteran had his own regrets and expressed them publicly.
"I had started my career as a Hindi film hero, and post-Ramayan, when I wanted to return to Bollywood, the producers said, 'Your image as Ram is so strong that we cannot cast you as anyone else or give you a supporting role.' They felt that I was not suited for commercial movies anymore," Govil told The Times of India years ago.
"That became the biggest minus point of my career, and I realised that I could never return to showbiz the way I wanted to. I took up a few TV shows, but every time I did something, people rejected me, saying, 'Arre, Ramji kya kar rahe hain?'" he went on to add.
"For the last 14 years, I have not done anything, except maybe make a few special appearances," he said, adding, "I have not given up on acting completely, but I will do something only if it is good," said the actor with regret.
But Govil was caught in a catch-22 situation. Lord Ram gave him everything he had imagined to achieve, but it also robbed him of the opportunities he wanted to explore.
Arun Govil's Nod To Ranbir Kapoor
In a BTS promotional video, Arun Govil explained why Ranbir Kapoor is the closest to playing Lord Rama in the much-anticipated Ramayana.
"Jo main sochta tha ki Ram aise chalte honge, aise baithte honge, aise dekhte honge, baat karte honge, toh yeh cheezein hain unmein. (What I had imagined-that Ram would walk like this, sit like this, look like this and speak like this-I can see all those qualities in him.) Normally, you don't expect a star to come and touch your feet, but he always does that," said Govil.
He added, "Among all the young stars who are available at the moment, Ranbir Kapoor is the closest to playing Lord Rama."
Karma Vs Destiny - Arun Govil Way
In a throwback interview, Arun Govil weighed in on karma versus destiny. Was it his karma or destiny that he became an age-old emblem of Lord Ram across generations? "I feel karma and destiny are complementary to each other. I always wanted to explore roles beyond Ramayana and Lord Ram. I feel there is still hope left, and I would explore that one day too," Govil said.
Four years ago, when Ramayana made its comeback on television during the pandemic, a renewed fervour of religiosity and divine celebrations gripped the nation.
Videos went viral in which a woman was seen weeping profusely when she spotted Arun Govil at the airport. A Muslim fan, an ardent follower of Lord Ram, was pictured clicking a family picture with Govil after their paths crossed at the airport.
Thirty-nine years have passed since Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia played the OG Ram and Sita on screen. Later, other actors stepped into the shoes of these iconic mythological characters as channels raced to mint money. But nobody came close to the worldwide fame of Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia.
It was Arun Govil's 'Karma' that he played Lord Ram in the 1980s. Perhaps, it was his destiny that he was chosen as King Dashrath for the 2026 film Ramayana.
