Arun Govil denies ‘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.

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.