Some roles leave an indelible impact on one’s career. For Arun Govil, playing Lord Ram in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana has been a career-defining role. Now, the senior actor has been invited for the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Priests, saints, and top politicians, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, will also participate in the ceremony where Lord Ram’s idol will be placed inside the temple.

“I will attend the consecration ceremony. To participate in it is a great honour. A few months ago when I was shooting for a movie in Ayodhya, I did Ram Lalla’s darshan at the temple. It was being constructed at the time,” he says. Govil, who had taken a break from showbiz for 18 years, returned to acting in 2021. “I spent time with my Guruji in Delhi, doing social and spiritual work. After the pandemic, I felt I needed another innings in acting.”