Arun Govil is an Indian actor, producer, director and politician. He is best known for his role as Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s ancient Indian epic television series Ramayana (1987–1988).
Wiki/Biography
Arun Govil was born on Sunday, January 12, 1958 (66 years old in 2024) in Ramnagar, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. His zodiac sign is Capricorn. He graduated from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut with a Bachelor of Science degree. He used to participate in the school’s annual functions and even played different roles in college plays. Before this, he never thought of pursuing a career in acting. After completing his formal education, he moved to Mumbai to help his younger brother in business, and his desire to do something of his own later paved the way for him to enter the acting industry.
appearance
Height (approximate): 5′ 10″
Eye color: Black
Hair color: Black
Family and caste
Arun Govil was born into a Hindu family.
Parents and siblings
Arun Govil’s father, Chandra Prakash Govil, is a government water engineer in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Arun’s father has 8 children (6 sons and 2 daughters). One of his elder brothers, Vijay Govil, is married to Tabassum, a former Indian actress and host of the longest running talk show on Indian Television, “Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan”.
Family and Children
Arun is married to former designer and film actor Shrilekha Govil.
Arun Govil and his wife Shrilekha in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
He met Shrilekha, who was a textile designer at the time, early in his acting career. He attributes his success and achievements to her.
Arun Govil and his wife Shrilekha at their residence in Mumbai.
The couple has two children, son Amal Govil and daughter Sonika Govil.
Arun Govil’s children Amal Govil and Sonika Govil
His son works as a banker in Mumbai, while daughter Sonika Govil lives in Boston, USA, where she studies at the Hult International Business School.
Arun Govil and his daughter
Profession
Actor
After moving to Mumbai at a very young age, the monotony of his elder brother’s business and the desire to establish his own identity prompted him to try his hand at acting. It took him about two years to get his first opportunity but he eventually landed a supporting role in the film Paheli (1977). Rajshri Productions, the production company of Paheli, was so impressed with his work that they subsequently signed him to star in three more films, namely Sawan Ko Aane Do (1979), Raadha Aur Seeta (1979), Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin (1979).
Arun Govil plays Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a still from the film Article 370
One of the three films, Sawan Ko Aane Do, was a super hit at the time and its music is still loved by a large number of Indian listeners.
He starred in Kanak Mishra’s Jiyo To Aise Jiyo (1981), which was the 30th highest grossing film of the year. His acting career took off and he went on to act in many other Hindi films. He made his small screen debut in Ramanand Sagar’s acclaimed TV series Vikram Aur Betaal (1988), playing the legendary king Vikramaditya.
Photos by Vikram Aur Betaal of Ramanand Sagar
Meanwhile, he essayed the role of ‘Lord Rama’ in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana (1987-88), the most watched mythological series in the world.
This became a milestone in his career. He rose to fame for his performance in Ramayana and won the Uptron Award for Best Actor in 1989. His serene portrayal of Lord Rama brought him great exposure and he was offered several spiritual-based roles thereafter, including King Harishchandra in Vishwamitra (TV series) and Lord Buddha in the TV series Buddha. He fell into the image trap and people started seeing him as a paragon of virtue and Bollywood producers stopped offering him unique roles. He has acted in Telugu, Bhojpuri, Bengali and Oriya films, including Bidhira Bidhan (1989- Oriya), Edu Kondalaswamy (1991- Telugu), Govinda Govinda (1993- Telugu) and Pyari Dulhaniya (1989- Bhojpuri) among others. In 2008, he founded his own production company ‘Arun Govil Productions Private Limited’. In 2024, he played the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the film ‘Article 370’.
Arun Govil plays Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a still from the film Article 370
politics
He joined the BJP ahead of the assembly elections in four states and one Union Territory on March 18, 2021. While interacting with the media, Mr. Govil explained his reasons for joining the BJP, saying:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s displeasure with Jai Shri Ram was the trigger for me to join the BJP. There is nothing wrong in saying Jai Shri Ram… It is not a slogan, not even a political slogan. It is our way of life, it represents our culture and spirituality.”
Arun Govil joins BJP
He contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Meerut seat in Uttar Pradesh and won.
Car Collection
In June 2022, he purchased a Mercedes-Benz C 200.
Arun Govil’s new Mercedes Benz
Facts/Trivia
- Arun’s father, Chandra Prakash Govil, wanted him to become a government official, but Arun wanted to do something different to carve out his own identity.
Photos of Arun Govil when he was young
- Arun was not the first choice to play Lord Rama in Rammanand Sagar’s Ramayana and was rejected outright after his audition, but eventually, the production team reached a consensus and decided to cast him; as they could not find anyone better suited for the role.
- Arun Govil is a versatile actor. Apart from playing the lead role in many blockbuster films, he has also played several supporting roles and has worked with many legendary Bollywood stars in his career.
Stills from the film Dhaal, starring Danny Denzongpa, Arun Govil and Vinod Khanna
- Arun used to be a heavy smoker, but he gave up smoking completely after playing the role of Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana. However, he often drinks to relieve his addiction.
Arun and his wife enjoying quality time
- Even today, 33 years after the TV serial Ramayana was aired, people in India still address him by the name Ramaji and touch his feet to show their reverence for the character he played in Ramayana (Rama).
Arun Govil’s recent photos
- Arun Govil is known for playing Rama in the TV series Ramayana and he even played the role of ‘Laxman’ in the Indian mythological film Ramayana (1997).
Still from the 1997 TV series Lav Kush
- In 2016, a group of builders in Mumbai duped Arun Govil and Sunil Lahri (Laxman in Ramayana) into buying a property they did not own for a nominal sum.
Ram (Arun) and Laxman (Sunil) on screen in 2016
- About the stagnation and gradual decline of his career after Ramayana, he said,
I started my career as a Hindi film hero and after Ramayana, when I wanted to return to Bollywood, the producers said, “Your image as Rama is too strong, we can’t cast you in other roles or in supporting roles.” They felt that I was no longer fit for commercial films. This became the biggest drawback in my career and I realized that I would never be able to return to entertainment in the way I wanted. I did some TV shows but every time I did anything, people would reject me and say, “Ah Rama, don’t act anymore.”
- In March 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic, a picture of him watching Ramayana on Indian TV with his family went viral on social media, bringing back pure nostalgia. Ramayana was first aired in the late 80s, and now it is finally being re-aired on Indian TV, nearly 32 years after it was first aired in the late 80s.
Arun Govil watches Ramayana with his family
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education