When Arun ‘Ram’ Govil played Lakshman

Veteran actor Arun Govil is better known as Ram after he played the character of the lord in Ramanand Sagar’s iconic television series Ramayan. In fact, he became a household name and continues to be so. But not many would know that he has also played the role of Ram’s brother Lakshman once in a film.

It was in V Madhusudhan Rao’s Hindi film Lav Kush in 1997. The film saw Jeetendra play the role of Ram while Jaya Prada played Sita. But the role of Hanuman was essayed by Dara Singh, just like Ramanand Sagar’s serial.

In an interview with Cinestaan.com, Govil said that he wasn’t keen on playing Lakshman in the film but the producers Padmalaya Studios, with whom he had good relations, insisted.

“When they offered me Lav Kush, I had advised them to not have me in the role of Laxman, irrespective of whether they cast me as Ram. I said it’s okay if you cast Jeetu ji as Ram. He had been their regular actor. But I didn’t want them to cast me as Laxman because my image was that of Ram and they [both images] would clash,” he told the website.

Arun Govil and Jeetendra in Lav Kush

“But they said, ‘No we only want you to play this role.’ As I had done films with them before, I couldn’t say no to them. So, I did it as a character,” added Govil.

Govil’s prophecy came true. Despite such known actors being cast in Lav Kush, the film didn’t do well at the box office.

Also read: Hanuman and Bheem: A tale of two half-brothers

In the same interview with the publication, Govil shared that he didn’t do much films after Ramayan because his image of Ram had become so strong that people couldn’t see him in other roles.

Govil also added that this doesn’t sadden him even one bit. He said he is happy to have gained so much appreciation for playing Ram that people still touch his feet even after more than 30 years of Ramayan.

Read the whole interview HERE