Veteran Gujarati theatre, film and TV actor Arvind Trivedi passed away on October 5 at his residence in Borivali. The actor (82) had been unwell and was suffering from age-related issues. Arun Govil, who played Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan, spoke to Bombay Times about his colleague and friend.

Govil 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 together.”

Govil said Ram and Ravan were two characters that were opposite to each other on reel, but in real life, the two actors got along very well. 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.”

Viewers used to worship Govil because he played Ram. But it’s not that they would get angry if they saw them together in real life. He said, “It’s true that people almost worshipped and even fell at my feet due to my reel image. But, at the end of the day, people knew that it was a character. People used to see us together and be happy to see our camaraderie. I feel a deep void and sad that a dear colleague is no more.”