Arun Govil (Hindi: अरुण गोविल, Urdu: اَرُن گوِّل) (born 12 January 1958) is an award-winning Indian actor, producer and director. He has acted in various Hindi, Bhojpuri, Oriya and Telugu movies. He is best known for playing Rama in Ramanand Sagar's hit television series Ramayan (1986).
| Arun Govil | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 January 1958 Meerut, Uttar Pradesh |
| Occupation | Actor, producer, director |
| Spouse | Shrilekha |
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Arun Govil was born in Ramnagar near Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He got his formal education at Meerut University, where he acted in some plays. His father wanted him to become a government servant while Arun wanted to do something for which he would be remembered. In 1975, at the young age of 17, he moved to Bombay to start his own business there. He later found his way into acting.
Arun Govil is the youngest of four brothers, one of whom is married to Tabassum, a former child actress. His father was a government officer. Govil is married to actress Shrilekha, with whom he has a son and a daughter.
Arun Govil describes himself as "not particularly religious" and says when he was a child he would attend Ram-lila plays to please his religious mother. He currently serves as the president of Lakshmi Narayan Dham, an organization that works under his holiness Shri Kumar Swami Brahmarishi who is known for blessing people with "beej mantras" (secret incantations) to help them with their problems and cure their illnesses.
Arun Govil got his first break in Indian cinema in the 1977 film Paheli. He later starred in other films such as Sawan Ko Aane Do (1979), Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin (1979), Ayaash (1982) and Itni Si Baat (1981).
Ramanand Sagar cast Govil as Vikramaditya in his television series Vikram Aur Betaal and Rama in his highly successful television series Ramayan, for which he won the Uptron Award for "Best Actor in a Leading Role" in 1988. His role as Rama provided great exposure to him and led to him being cast in other religious-based roles, including Harishchandra in Vishwamitra (TV series) and Buddha in tv series Buddha. He also worked in Oriya movies like Bidhira Bidhan (1989) and many Telugu movies like Edu Kondalaswamy (1991), Govindha Govindha (1993), and Great Robbery (1996).
He later set up a production company with his Ramayan co-star Sunil Lahiri. He produced and acted in Mashaal, a TV series based on the Indian independence movement. His wife Shrileikha acted and co-produced the show as well.
| Year | Film | Character | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Paheli | Balram | |
| 1979 | Sawan Ko Aane Do | Birju | |
| Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin | Ajay S. Agarwal | ||
| Raadha Aur Seeta | Shekhar Verma | ||
| 1980 | Judaai | Umakant S. Verma | |
| 1981 | Jiyo To Aise Jiyo | Kundan Sharma | |
| Itni Si Baat | Anand | ||
| Shradhanjali | Raju Kumar | ||
| 1982 | Gumsum | ||
| Ayaash | Amal | ||
| Barrister | |||
| Jawalaa Dahej Ki | |||
| 1983 | Lal Chunariyaa | Special appearance | |
| Himmatwala | Govind | ||
| Justice Chaudhury | Inspector Ramesh Chaudhary | ||
| 1984 | Aasmaan | Doctor | |
| Kanoon Meri Mutthi Mein | |||
| Ram Tera Desh | Prakash | ||
| 1985 | Karmyudh | Rajesh | |
| Do Dilon Ki Dastaan | Kamal | ||
| Yudh | Inspector Bhargav | ||
| Baadal | Thakur Kiran Singh | ||
| Lallu Ram | Shankar/Raju | ||
| 1986 | Dilwaala | Mohan Kumar | |
| 1987 | Maashuka | ||
| 1989 | Bidhira Bidhan | Oriya film | |
| 1991 | Edu Kondalaswamy | Lord Venkateswara | Telugu film |
| 1993 | Govindha Govindha | Lord Venkateswara | Telugu film |
| Muqabla | Havaldar Satyaprakash | ||
| 1994 | Kanoon | Pankaj | Vishal's brother |
| 1995 | Shanivrat Mahima | Bhagwan Indra/ Lord Venkestwara |
|
| Hathkadi | Arun Chauhan | ||
| 1996 | Great Robbery | Lord Venkateshwara | Telugu film |
| 1997 | Dhaal: The Battle of Law Against Law | Inspector Deodhar | |
| Do Ankhen Barah Hath | |||
| Lav Kush | Shri Lakshman |