Between 1987 and 1988, Sunday mornings across India were all about families gathering in front of the television to watch the latest episode of Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan. So popular was the on-screen pairing of Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala as Lord Ram and Sita that the two followed it up with the show, Luv Kush that ran till 1989. Almost 34 years later, the actors have reunited for director Pradeep Gupta’s film, Notice. The project went on floors yesterday at Madh Island, where a large set of a village has been built.

Producer Aditya Pratap Singh Raghuvanshi views Notice as a modern-day interpretation of the Ramayana. Since Govil and Chikhlia’s public image has been dominated by the mythological offering, he felt they were the perfect choice to lead the movie.

“It is the story of a vulnerable man who fights for the truth, and his victory against the corrupt administration. Many stories evolve from the Ramayana and Mahabharat. Notice is a modern-day story [with roots in] the Ramayana. The film is so-titled as it depicts that whenever you get a notice, it brings some problem with it,” says Raghuvanshi.

The director will conduct a 12-day schedule in Mumbai with the leads. After a short break, the cast and crew will head to Sapana village in Madhya Pradesh for the next stint. The two actors’ popularity saw a resurgence of sorts when Ramayan had a re-run on Doordarshan during the pandemic.

Govil, who is looking forward to reuniting with Chikhlia, says, “It will be fantastic to work with her again. I am playing a common man fighting for justice. I signed the movie as there is dharma and truth in the character.”

Chikhlia, who returned to movies five years ago and was seen in Bala (2019), hopes to recreate the jodi’s on-screen magic with Notice that is slated to arrive in theatres later this year. She says, “Mine is a simple, homely and interesting character. The film is similar to Ramayan as that too was a simple story, and the audience is attracted to simplicity. During the pandemic, Arun ji and I shot for an ad together.”