Veteran actor Arun Govil’s portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s television adaptation of Ramayana remains one of the most memorable performances in Indian television history. Decades later, the veteran actor has reunited with the epic, but this time as King Dashrath, Lord Ram’s father, in Nitesh Tiwari’s recently released cinematic adaptation. Interestingly, Govil was not keen on accepting the role initially. It took persistent efforts from the director and nearly three months to convince him to join the film.
Why Arun Govil Initially Rejected The Offer
In an interview with Variety India, Govil admitted that he was initially unwilling to accept the role. Despite the team’s repeated efforts, he did not see a reason to return to the Ramayana universe in another character. Recalling his reaction, the actor said, “Would you believe it, I didn’t want to do it at all. Frankly speaking, I didn’t feel the need for it when it was offered to me. But then, these people were so insistent. Nitesh Tiwari was so adamant.”
Nitesh Tiwari Took Three Months To Convince Him
The director and his team refused to give up. They continued approaching the actor with the same request. Govil recalled, “No, sir, you have to do it.” It took me almost three months to say yes. They were after me. It came to such a situation that they started saying that it was very easy to sign Yash and Ranbir. But it was very difficult to sign Dashrath. So, finally, I said yes.”
Understanding Dashrath Through Lord Ram
Although accepting the offer took months, understanding King Dashrath’s emotions was relatively easy for Govil. His earlier experience of portraying Lord Ram had already given him an insight into the character’s feelings and his relationship with his father. His own experience as a father also helped him connect with the role.
“Even at the time of Ram, Dashrath was comprehensible to me. To understand Ram’s emotions, Dashrath’s emotions were there in front of me. Besides being the father of a 46-year-old son in real life, the paternal emotions came naturally to me,” added the actor.
Arun Govil also discussed his plans beyond Ramayana. He revealed that he has yet to sign another project. The actor is unwilling to settle for anything “routine” and wants to be selective about his future assignments.
