Arun Govil reveals the challenges he faced after playing Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan

Arun Govil, veteran actor who became synonymous with portrayal of Lord Ram in TV serial Ramayan, recently shared insights into challenges he faced after show's success. While Ramayan catapulted Govil to stardom, it also brought about a unique struggle like being cast and finding fewer opportunities in mainstream cinema.

Arun Govil narrates his ordeal

Created, written, and directed by Ramanand Sagar, Ramayan became a cultural phenomenon during its run, lasting a year on television. Arun Govil's portrayal of Lord Ram earned him immense respect and love from audiences. However, very success of show presented a double-edged sword for actor.

In an interview with Rajshri Unplugged, Arun Govil opened up about mixed blessings that followed success of Ramayan. He expressed, " response of Ramayan led to both, good and b things. I got a lot of respect and honour but I was completely distanced from commercial films. All producers and directors would tell me that my image of Lord Ram h became so strong that y would wonder what role to cast me in for. ‘People see only Lord Ram in you, y don’t see any or character’ is what y said."

Arun Govil's struggles beyond Lord Ram

Arun Govil acknowledged that scenario was not favourable for any actor. strong association with Lord Ram limited his options in mainstream cinema, leing to a period of uncertainty in his career. Despite attempting to break free from cast image with some "grey" roles, Govil realised that such parts did not suit him.

"For an actor, this is not good. negative effect of it stayed with me for many years. At that point, I would think, ‘What do I do now?’ I tried after that. Films were totally out of question for me but TV was growing. re I did some grey shes intentionally, but after watching myself play those, parts I realised that this is not me for me, sorry," he said.

A look back at Arun Govil's long-lasting career

Post Ramayan, Arun Govil ventured into TV shows like Luv Kush, Vishwamitra, Phoolwanti, and more. In a testament to evolving landscape of entertainment, Govil me a recent appearance in OMG 2, sharing screen with Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar and Pankaj Tripathi.