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Arun Govil Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 4, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth12 January 1958

Age67 Years

BirthplaceRamnagar, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh

ProfessionActor

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseShrilekha Govil

FamilySon - Amal Govil; Daughter - Sonika Govil

Arun Govil Biography

Arun Govil is an Indian actor best known for portraying Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s television epic Ramayan. With a career spanning film and television,,

Early life and background

Arun Govil was born on 12 January 1958 in Ramnagar, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He completed a Bachelor of Science from Chaudhary Charan Singh University in Meerut before moving to Mumbai to pursue work opportunities and ultimately build an acting career. His father, Chandra Prakash Govil, had hoped he would take a government job, but Govil chose to follow his interest in performance instead.

Career

Govil’s film debut came in 1979 with Paheli, a project from Rajshri Productions. The production company kept him under contract and cast him in several more films that year, including Sawan Ko Aane Do, Raadha Aur Seeta, and Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin. Sawan Ko Aane Do became a notable hit of its era and helped raise his profile in Hindi cinema.

Through the early 1980s Govil appeared in a number of mainstream films, including a role opposite Sridevi in Himmatwala (1983). He transitioned to television work later in the decade, appearing as King Vikramaditya in the fantasy series Vikram Aur Betaal, produced by Ramanand Sagar and broadcast on Doordarshan.

The role that defined Govil’s public image came when Ramanand Sagar cast him as Lord Rama in the television series Ramayan (1987–88). Although he was initially not selected at the audition stage, the producers later reconsidered and gave him the part. The portrayal made him widely recognizable across India and established a lasting association between the actor and the character. During the years following Ramayan’s original broadcast, Govil became closely identified with the role; decades later audiences still greet him with the reverence reserved for the character he played.

Govil has also contributed voice work, lending his voice to the Indo-Japanese animated film Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1992). In a later film appearance he portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the movie Article 370, a performance that drew viewer attention.

Public profile

Govil’s portrayal of a major religious figure influenced aspects of his public behavior. While preparing for and playing Rama, he made lifestyle changes — including quitting a long-standing cigarette habit — because he felt the image of a deity was incompatible with smoking in the eyes of many viewers.

His family has occasionally featured in the public narrative around him. He is married to Shrilekha Govil, a former celebrity designer who also acted in a few films in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The couple have two children: a son, Amal Govil, and a daughter, Sonika Govil. Sonika has pursued studies in the United States. Amal, who married in 2010, works in banking in Mumbai and the family includes a daughter-in-law, Divya Govil, and a grandson, Aryaveer.

Govil has remained visible to the public in multiple ways. When Ramayan was re-telecast on Doordarshan during the nationwide lockdown in March 2020, a photo of him watching the serial with his family went viral, underscoring how closely his identity remains linked to the series in the public mind.

Politics

Govil joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 18 March 2021. In the 2024 general election he contested and won the Meerut Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh, marking a successful entry into electoral politics.

Latest updates

In recent years Govil’s activities have included both screen work and political engagement. He has portrayed contemporary political figures on film and taken on formal roles within the BJP, culminating in his 2024 electoral victory from Meerut.

Personal notes

Govil stands around 5 feet 10 inches (177 cm) tall and has black hair and black eyes. He owns a Mercedes C 200. He was raised in Meerut and his zodiac sign is Capricorn.

Despite the passage of time since Ramayan’s original broadcast, Arun Govil remains one of the most widely recognized actors from that era of television, remembered chiefly for the devotional role that made him a household name.
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Recent Work

Article 370

Portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi

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Career Highlights

  1. Film debut in Paheli (1979)
  2. Starred in Rajshri Productions films including Sawan Ko Aane Do (1979)
  3. Played King Vikramaditya in Vikram Aur Betaal (1988)
  4. Portrayed Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayan (1987–88)
  5. Voice actor in Ramayana: The Legend of Prince Rama (1992)
  6. Won Meerut Lok Sabha seat (2024) representing the Bharatiya Janata Party
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Arun Govil born?

12 January 1958

What is Arun Govil known for?

Actor

What is Arun Govil’s marital status?

Married

Who is Arun Govil married to?

Shrilekha Govil