'Ramayan' fame Sunil Lahri says 'other' versions of the show were 'not impactful'

After the phenomenal success of Ramayan's rerun, the cast of the show got together again after nearly 30 years to discuss its widespread impact. The media interaction featured Dipika Chikhilia who played Sita, Sunil Lahri who played Laxman, and Prem Sagar, who is the son of the late showrunner, Ramanand Sagar.

During the interaction, Sunil Lahri and Dipika Chikhilia were quizzed about the newer versions of Ramayan. However, Sunil Lahri revealed that he did not care for the newer Ramayan versions, as they were not as "impactful". 

Sunil Lahri, aka Lakshman, reveals that he did not find the new Ramayan interesting

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In the virtual media interaction, Dipika Chikhlia, Sunil Lahri and Prem Sagar were asked if they had seen the following versions on Ramayan on TV, and if there were any actors' performances they liked in the show or any favourites who played their counterpart characters.

To this, Sunil Lahri said there is none to pick a favourite from. He said, "There has not been a show that was as impactful as Ramayan, and the following versions did not have that kind of writing or screenplay that made the same kind of impact that the first Ramayan did, because the show was a first of its kind and a trendsetter," he said.

Prem Sagar said, "There will never be a show as impactful as Ramayan." Dipika Chikhlia said that she has not watched any following versions of Ramayan, so she cannot comment on it.

Also Read | Ramayan Diaries: This is how Hanuman helped creator Ramanand Sagar write the script

Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan premiered all the way back in 1987 and was a huge success even back then. The entire show was written, produced and directed by Ramanand Sagar. The lead cast included Arun Govil as Ram, Deepika Chikhalia as Sita, Sunil Lahri as Lakshman, and Dara Singh as Hanuman. Arvind Trivedi played the iconic role of Ravan. 

Other Ramayan trivia that was shared during the interaction

Also Read | Ramayan Diaries: You'll never believe how long 'Hanuman' AKA Dara Singh took to get ready

During the interview, Ramayan's cast revealed trivia from the show that was not known by many. Prem Sagar talked about how people would come in buses to touch Ram and Sita's feet. Moreover, Prem Sagar also revealed that Dara Singh, aka Hanuman, took the longest to get ready during filming.

In fact, Dara Singh even helped Ramanand Sagar write the script for Ramayan. Sunil Lahri has also started sharing trivia for the show on his social media. He recently shared a video where he talked about Ramayan's episode 4. 

[Promo image from Sunil Lahri Instagram]

Also Read | Ramayan Diaries: People came in buses to touch Lord Ram & Sita's feet, recalls Prem Sagar