Arun Govil denies having ‘rivalry’ with late Arvind Trivedi, says they spoke 10 days ago: ‘He was not well’

Ramayan’s Ram, actor Arun Govil, has condoled the death of his old co-star, Arvind Trivedi, who played Raavan on the show, which catapulted them to near-mythic status in real life as well. 

Arun Govil admitted that viewers would fall at his feet because of his on-screen image, but said that they would also love seeing him interact with Arvind Trivedi off-screen. 

In an interview with a leading daily, he said, “I woke up to the news of my dear colleague Arvind Trivedi passing away last night. I had a chat with him around 10 days back and he was not keeping well. He did not have any serious illness, he was suffering from age-related issues. It was late and I regret not attending his funeral this morning. I feel a deep void because I worked with him for many years in Umbergaon and he was a good friend, co-actor and we spent a lot of time working together.”

He added, “Ram and Ravan were two strong characters in Ramayan along with Sita, but there was no competition or rivalry between us. He was a thorough gentleman, a professional and a fine actor. He was very good at what he did and we never had any differences or issues. It was a great experience working with him. I remember we used to eat together and then go for a walk in Umbergaon. I remember him as a Shiv bhakt and a simple man.”

Arvind Trivedi died on Tuesday evening following a heart attack. He was in his early 80s. According to the actor’s nephew, Kaustubh Trivedi, the actor had been unwell for a long time and breathed his last around 10 pm at his residence in suburban Kandivali. “He had a lot of age related health issues and was not keeping well. He was in the hospital earlier and had come home only recently. He died of a heart attack at his residence around 10-10.30 pm,” Kaustubh told PTI.

Also read: When Ramayan’s Arvind Trivedi put ‘full stop’ on proposal to show soft porn in theatres, said kissing was ‘unacceptable’

Other Ramayan cast members such as Dipika Chikhlia and Sunil Lahri also offered condolences. PM Narendra Modi also tweeted in honour of the late actor.