Diwali special: 6 actors who perfectly essayed Lord Ram
What's the story
Diwali may be the day for gorging on sweets and celebrating light and warmth, but it is also the day to worship Lord Ram, who is believed to have returned to Ayodhya on this day after a 14-year-long exile.
Over the years, many actors have lived his epic saga onscreen, infusing life into Ram's role.
This Diwali, take a look at some of them.
#1
Arun Govil
Veteran artist Arun Govil has been branded on the Indian consciousness as Lord Ram since 1987, so much so that in the pre-internet era, devotees would try to touch his feet, equating him to God Himself.
Govil portrayed Lord Ram in the Ramayan TV series for about a year, but his screen presence was such that it now serves as artistic inspiration for many.
#6
NT Rama Rao
A prolific actor, screenwriter, director, and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister, the late NT Rama Rao brought Lord Rama alive numerous times onscreen.
Some of the most notable films Sampoorna Ramayanam (1958), Lava Kusa (1963), Ramadasu (1964; special appearance), Sri Krishna Satya (1971), Sri Ramanjaneya Yuddham (1975), and Sri Rama Pattabhishekam (1978).
He portrayed Hindu deities so often that many people considered him God.
#2
Nandamuri Balakrishna
Recipient of seven Nandi Awards—presented by Andhra Pradesh's government—Sri Rama Rajyam (2011) starred Rao's son Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nayanthara, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Vindu Dara Singh, and Srikanth.
Balakrishna, soaked in sky blue color, played Ram. Bapu directed and also co-wrote the Telugu-language devotional film.
It was a critically and commercially successful venture and is now streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5, and JioCinema.
#3
Jr. NTR
Having trouble recalling when Jr. NTR took upon the mammoth responsibility of playing the deity? That's because he registered this acclaim when he was a child artist.
He headlined Ramayanam (also known as Bala Ramayanam) in 1997.
Directed by Gunasekhar and co-starring Smitha Madhav, Swathi Kumar, Aanand Vardhan, and numerous other child actors, it also won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film.
#4
Gurmeet Choudhary
Unlike most names listed above, Gurmeet Choudhary's stint as Lord Ram came on the small screen, not on 70mm.
However, that doesn't take away anything from his gentle, striking, and memorable performance on NDTV Imagine's Ramayana (2008-2009), co-starring Akhilendra Mishra and Ankit Arora.
He starred alongside Debina Bonnerjee (Sita), whom he eventually married in 2011 and now has two daughters with.
#5
Gagan Malik
Acor and Buddhist activist Gagan Malik has had the opportunity to play the Hindu deity on more than one occasion.
For the first time, this opportunity came in the form of Zee TV's Ramayan (2012-13), followed by Sankatmochan Mahabali Hanuman (2015-17), which was telecast on Sony Entertainment Television.
He also portrayed Lord Krishna and Lord Vishnu in the latter show.