Arvind Trivedi is an Indian actor best known for playing ‘Ramayana’ in Ramanand Sagar’s epic television series Ramayana; a Hindu mythological drama that caused a lockdown in India in the 1980s when it aired on Indian television between 9am and 10am.
Arvind Trivedi as Ravan in Ramayana
Wiki/Biography
Arvind Trivedi was born on Tuesday, November 8, 1938 (aged 82 at the time of his death) in Ujjain, British India. He developed a passion for acting from an early age as his elder brother was also a theatre artist. Trivedi’s family originates from Kukadia village near Idar, Gujarat. When his family moved to Ujjain, his father became paralyzed. Thereafter, the Trivedi family settled in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Family and caste
Arvind Trivedi was born into a Gujarati family.
Parents and siblings
His father was a factory worker who died of a stroke when Arvind was a child. Arvind has three siblings; two elder brothers Bhalchandra (educationist) and Upendra Trivedi (actor) and one elder sister. His elder brother Upendra Tripathi was a prolific Gujarati actor, known as “Abhinay Samrat” for his outstanding performance in the Gujarati drama “Abhinay Samrat”. Upendra Trivedi passed away on January 4, 2015.
Arvind Trivedi’s elder brother Upendra Trivedi
Wife and children
Arvind Trivedi married Nalini on Saturday, June 4, 1966. He and Nalini have three daughters.
Awards and Honors
The Gujarat government has awarded him the Best Actor Award seven times for his outstanding performances in Gujarati films.
Profession
Actor
Trivedi has acted in more than 250 films, both in Gujarati and Hindi, and in many television serials. Most of his films and TV serials are related to mythology or social issues. He acted in many Gujarati dramas before entering the film industry. He made his debut in the Hindi film Paraya Dhan in 1971.
In the same year, he made his debut in the Gujarati film Jesal Toral.
He made his television screen debut in 1987 in Ramanand Sagar’s epic television serial Ramayana as Ravana.
He played the role of Ravana with great devotion and is still praised for his acting skills.
Apart from Ramayana, he acted in many other hit TV series including the role of ‘Yogi’ in Vikram Aur Betal (1988) and ‘Trishanku’ in Brahmrishi Vishwamitra (1991). Trivedi was last seen as ‘Dadaji’ in the Gujarati film Desh Re Joya Dada Pardesh Joya (1998).
politics
After the success of Ramayana, Trivedi joined the BJP and was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Sabarkanta constituency in Gujarat in 1991 as a member of the BJP and served as the party’s MP from 1991 to 1996.
Arvind Trivedi enters Indian Parliament
die
He died of cardiac arrest followed by multiple organ failure on October 5, 2021, in Mumbai due to long-term age-related ailments.
Facts/Trivia
- Before Ramayana, Trivedi had done many Gujarati films and a few Hindi films.
- Arvind’s elder brother Upendra Trivedi is a prolific Gujarati actor and Arvind was inspired by his brother to pursue a career in acting.
- Arvind’s elder brother Upendra is also a politician and had contested the 1985 and 1990 elections, but unlike Arvind who contested the elections as a member of the BJP, Upendra contested the elections as a member of the Congress Party.
- Arvind is famous for his role as Ravana in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana, while other characters in the show like Ram, Laxman and Sita played by Arun Govil, Sunil Lahri and Deepika Chikhalia respectively are also famous.
Arvind Trivedi (sitting on the left) with Sunil Lahri and Arun Govil (both sitting on the right)
Arvind Trivedi and Deepika Chikhalia
- Arvind had actually auditioned for the role of Kevat (boatman) in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana and was eventually chosen to play Ravan. He revealed this fact in an interview, saying:
I went to audition for the role of Kevat. I was the last one to be called for the audition and Ramanand Sagar handed me a script. After reading the script, I took a few steps and Ramanand Sagar shouted, “I have found my Lankesh.”
Arvind Trivedi in a still from Ramayana
- In the popular perception, the character of Ravan is considered as a negative one, but for Arvind, this is not the case; as he has always received due respect for playing Ravan. He said,
Whenever I attend any show or event, I see how much people love Ravan. They have a sacred reverence for this character. In fact, Ravan is considered to be an intellectual of great heights, a man of morals and principles.”
Arvind Trivedi as Ravana in a still from Ramayana
- Ravana is the only villain role played by Arvind in his acting career; he has played mostly positive roles in films and television serials.
Arvind Trivedi as Ravan in Ramanand Sagar Ramayana
- After the Ramayana, Arvind was popularly identified as Ravan in the locality. In an interview, he talked about this, saying:
After Ramayana, I was no longer Arvind Trivedi but Lankesh in the eyes of people. Even my children were called Ravan’s children and my wife was known as Mandodari (Ravan’s wife). The day Ravan was killed, people in our locality mourned. ”
Ravan (played by Arvind Trivedi) and his wife Mandodari in a still from Ramayana
- In 2002, Arvind Trivedi was appointed as the acting chairman of the Central Board of Film Censors (CBFC) after Vijay Anand (then chairman of the Central Board of Film Censors) submitted his documents.
- After quitting showbiz, Arvind started doing social work by collaborating with many social organizations.
- Sunil Lahri, who played Laxman in Ramayana, was very close to Arvind Trivedi.
Arvind Trivedi and Sunil Lahri
- In 2020, Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan was brought back to his memory when it was re-aired on Indian television in March after it was first aired in the 1980s. The series was re-aired during the coronavirus pandemic and the nationwide lockdown.
India’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar watches a rerun of the Ramayana on Indian television at home in March 2020
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education