Did you know Arun Govil was initially rejected for Lord Ram’s role in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan?

Veteran actor Arun Govil, most popularly known for his portrayal of Lord Ram in the iconic 1987 mythological drama Ramayan, recently shared some interesting details about his journey to becoming the beloved deity on screen. In a recent interview, Govil disclosed that he was initially rejected by the legendary director Ramanand Sagar for the role that eventually became his career-defining breakthrough. Even today, fans remember him as Lord Ram and the 1987 adaptation continues to audience’s favorite on-screen adaptation of the epic.

Arun Govil on being rejected for the role of Ram

Reflecting on the casting process of Ramayan, Govil revealed that he had auditioned for the role of Lord Ram along with several other actors. However, to his disappointment, Ramanand Sagar initially turned him down, opting to cast someone else for the pivotal character. The actor shared, “He took my audition and in the audition he rejected me. His sons Prem Sagar, Moti Sagar, and Anand Sagar asked me to play the character of Bharat and Lakshman, but I said that ‘I want to play the role of Lord Ram and if I am not suitable for it then it’s fine’, later they selected someone else for the role.”

As fate would have it, destiny intervened, and he got a call from the makers to be part of the show as Lord Ram. Talking about playing the iconic role, Govil shared, “This role has given me a lot and what I got is more than what I lost.”