Actor Arun Govil, who became a household name after playing Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar's television series Ramayan, is all set to return to the epic in a different role. The veteran actor now portrayed King Dashrath, Lord Rama's father, in Nitesh Tiwari's ambitious two-part film Ramayana, featuring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Rama.
However, Arun recently revealed that he was initially reluctant to take up the role and took nearly three months to give his final approval. In an interaction with Variety India, the actor admitted that he did not feel the need to play King Dashrath until director Nitesh Tiwari and the team persistently approached him.
"Would you believe it, I didn't want to do it at all. Frankly speaking, I didn't feel the need for it when it was offered to me. But then, these people were so insistent. Nitesh Tiwari was so adamant," he said.
Recalling how the makers continued to convince him, Arun said that Nitesh was determined to have him play the character. He added that the team even joked about how difficult it was to convince him compared to signing the film's lead actors.
"It took me almost three months to say yes. They were after me. It came to such a situation that they started saying that it was very easy to sign Yash and Ranbir. But it was very difficult to sign Dashrath. So, finally, I said yes."
Arun Govil On Playing King Dashrath In Ramayana
Despite his initial hesitation, Arun said portraying King Dashrath was not particularly challenging for him. Having played Lord Ram earlier, he already understood the emotions and personality of the character's father.
"Even at the time of Ram, Dashrath was comprehensible to me. To understand Ram's emotions, Dashrath's emotions were there in front of me. Besides being the father of a 46-year-old son in real life, the paternal emotions came naturally to me," added the actor.
Interestingly, Arun has portrayed three important characters from the Ramayana over the years. Apart from playing Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar's television series, he essayed Lakshman in the 1997 film Lav Kush. He will now be seen as King Dashrath in Nitesh Tiwari's adaptation.
The actor also revealed that he has not committed to any project after Ramayana, as he is not interested in taking up anything that feels routine.
About Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana
Starring Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita and Yash as Ravana, Ramayana is being made as a two-part cinematic spectacle. The project is reportedly mounted on a budget of Rs 4,000 crore, making it one of the most ambitious productions in Indian cinema.
The makers have also been promoting the film internationally. On October 27, a special screening was organised in Los Angeles, giving the project a global spotlight.
