Sunil Lahri, who played Lakshman in the show, said, “I got to know about Arvind Trivedi’s death early in the morning through a WhatsApp message. I usually don’t check my messages before 8 am, but yesterday I happened to look at my phone and got to know about the unfortunate news. Kuch toh connection hoga. A common friend informed me about it; I was shocked to read the message!”

He added, “In fact, I had shared a post of the same friend with Arvind bhai on social media a few days ago. Dipika (Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala) and I had been planning to meet Arvind bhai, too. We had planned twice, but once Dipika got busy and the other time, Arvind bhai had guests at home so we couldn’t meet. I just wish I had met him one last time.”

Talking about shooting with the senior actor for Ramayan, Sunil shared, “Arvind bhai had joined us after half of Ramayan was shot. Not many people know this, but even though he played Ravan, he was a pakka Ram bhakt. Although he was a very big star in Gujarati cinema, he had no airs. He was very positive in real life. Also, the way he played Ravan, I don’t think anyone will ever be able to match up to it.”

Sunil added, “My relationship with him grew with every passing day and it continued even after the show ended. He was like a guide and a father figure to me. He used to be a part of every function of mine. I had last met him on his 80th birthday. Apno ke jaane ka toh dukh hamesha hota hi hai chahe woh kisi bhi umar mein jaye.”

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.”

Mumbai: Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi, best known for playing Raavan in the popular 1986 mythological show ‘Ramayan’, died on late Tuesday night following a heart attack. He was in his early 80s.

According to Trivedi’s nephew, Kaustubh Trivedi, the actor had been unwell for a long time and breathed his last around 10 pm at his residence in 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 said.

His last rites were held at Dahanukar Wadi cremation ground, Kandivli, on Wednesday morning.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Arvind Trivedi, describing him as an “exceptional actor” who was passionate about public service.

Besides his acting career, in 1991, Trivedi was elected as a Member of Parliament from Sabarkatha constituency, representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

A host of celebrities, including his co-stars from ‘Ramayan’, also took to social media to mourn his demise.

Trivedi acted in nearly 300 Hindi and Gujarati movies and found immense popularity in Ramanand Sagar’s TV series ‘Ramayan’.

The actor’s other works, including TV series ‘Vikram Aur Betaal’ (1985) and the 1998 Gujarati feature film ‘Desh Re Joya Dada Pardesh Joya’ were also huge hits.