Arun Govil was reluctant to play Laxman after his popularity as Lord Rama, but the producer love kush There were other plans. The veteran actor has now opened up about how he expressed reservations despite being cast opposite Jitendra in the 1997 mythological film. In retrospect, Arun feels that his concerns about the casting were justified, as the film failed to find an audience.
Arun Govil recalled that the producers wanted him to play Lakshman while Jeetendra was given the role of Lord Rama. Ramanand has already played the role of Ram in Sagar’s iconic television show The RamayanaThe actor felt that playing the role of his younger brother would not be the right move. However, the makers were keen to cast him in the film.
“In the movie love kushWhile Jitendra played the role of Rama, they wanted me as Lakshmana. I told the manufacturer that this is not correct; I did not want to play the role of Lakshmana, but they did not listen. They wanted me. I said, ‘Okay, let’s go.’ But then look what happened. The film didn’t even run for a day. No one knows about that film,” Arun Govil told Variety India in an interview.
Released in 1997, love kush Also It was directed by Madhusudhana Rao and produced by Dilip Kanikariya under the banner of Devyank Arts. The film featured Jeetendra as Lord Rama, Jaya Prada as Sita, Arun Govil as Laxman, Dara Singh as Hanuman and Prana as Valmiki.
Despite its mythological subject and familiar faces, the film failed to make an impact at the box office.
Reluctance about Arun Govil’s role also came from the strong audiences that had already developed with him as Lord Rama. His portrayal in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana, which aired between 1987 and 1988, made him a household name. Even after decades, the actor says people still refer to him as the god.
“Even today people see me as Lord Ram. They also call me Ramji. They don’t call me Arun Govil. Even today, in my constituency (he is an MP in Lok Sabha, representing Meerut constituency), everyone addresses me as Ramji. And they also think: ‘You are Ramji, you tell us what to do.’ Even in the political arena, everyone I meet believes, ‘We have come to you, now our work will be done’,” said the actor.
Meanwhile, Arun Govil is back in the mythical space with Nitesh Tiwari The Ramayana. In the film produced by Yash and Namit Malhotra, the veteran actor plays the role of King Dasharatha, Lord Rama’s father.
In the film, Ranbir Kapoor plays Ram, Sai Pallavi Sita, Yash Ravan and Ravi Dubey play Laxman.
Also Read | ‘I didn’t want to do it at all’: Arun Govil taking 3 months to play King Dasharatha in Ramayana