Arun Govil Aka Ramayan’s Lord Ram Joins BJP

Veteran actor Arun Govil who had become a household name with his portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, has joined BJP. The actor joined the political party at its office in Delhi, on Thursday (March 18), ahead of the assembly elections in the union territory of Puducherry and four states (West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Assam).

Reportedly, BJP has stated that Arun Govil will not be contesting the elections but will instead campaign for the party. According to a leading media portal, regarding his decision to enter politics, he said, "Now I want to contribute to the nation and for that we need a platform. BJP is the best platform today."

Talking about the actor, he had created a strong impact in the industry with his debut movie Paheli, which had released in the year 1977 and was produced by Rajshri Productions. However, the actor's breakthrough stint in the TV industry was through the mythological show Ramayan, wherein he played the titular role of Lord Ram.

While Arun Govil had played Lord Ram in the show, actors Dipika Chikhlia and Sunil Lahri played Sita and Laxman respectively. Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi had essayed the role of Ravan in the same. The show which had started airing in the year 1987 had tasted stupendous success amongst the masses and had found a place in the Limca Book Of World Records for its path-breaking viewership.

Arun Govil's Ramayan held the record for World's Most Viewed Mythological TV Series till the year 2003. Apart from Ramayan, the actor also went on to appear in many other mythological shows like Buddha, Luv Kush and Vishwamitra. The actor has also worked in other regional films in languages namely Braj Bhasha, Bhojpuri, Odia and Telugu.

For the unversed, Arun Govil-starrer Ramayan was also re-telecasted during the lockdown in the month of March last year. The show had received a tremendous response yet again during its re-telecast too. The actor had also revealed his happiness on the same.

In an earlier interview last year with The Times Of India, Arun Govil had said, "Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan connected with the audience then and will continue to do so, even now. I feel that the show has been blessed by God himself; otherwise, why would it get revived after so many years? It is important for people to connect with the Almighty and seek divine intervention in these difficult times. If the show helps people seek God and follow His teachings, it is good."