Ramayan star Arun Govil responds on viral video of woman 'worshiping' him at the airport

Arun Govil touched many souls with his portrayal of Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s TV epic Ramayan, 35 years ago. After receiving immense love and popularity, the actor felt immortalised on-screen after he played the titular role. Even years after the show was aired on television, the actor continues to receive respect and adulation. 

Love for Govil was recently evident through a viral video that showed a woman, visibly in tears, falling at Govil’s feet. As he requests a person with her to pick her up, the woman is seen on her knees with folded hands in front of him while making a special request. Though the incident has caught the attention of many, the actor who was overwhelmed with the love, reacted to the same. 

Arun Govil reacts to viral video of woman worshipping him

While sharing his views with Hindustan Times, Govil called himself a 'mere symbol' and revealed how Lord Ram made him that. "Yeh unn bhakton ke mann mein aata hai ki iss aadmi ke paaon chhoone hain (This happens in the hearts of those devotees who realise whom to bow down in respect). I’ve always believed that they are not touching my feet, they are paying an ode to their own belief and faith. I am a mere symbol, Lord Ram made me that," Govil said. 

The video that has been surfacing on social media showed a woman who spotted the 64-year-old star arriving at the airport early morning and started screaming ‘Ram!’ She then caught the actor's leg and literally rubbed her forehead on his shoe. On seeing such devotion of the woman, the actor who was perplexed about the entire situation did not know how to react to the entire incident.

The actor told HT that he could not even bend to pick her up. When she calmed down a little, "I tried to make her stand. She told me her husband is in the ICU. She had got a yellow dupatta, which she wanted to wrap around me. I told her, ‘Take this dupatta and make your husband wear it.”

The television show Ramayan which was directed by Ramanand Sagar was aired on television in 1987 and was an instant hit. The actors received lots of fame and recognition. Dipika Chikhlia is known for playing Sita, and Arun Govil and Sunil Lahri played the role of Lord Ram and Lakshman respectively. 

IMAGE: Twitter/@sumitamisra/PTI