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EXCLUSIVE: Arav Chowdharry on playing King Dashrath in Shrimad Ramayan; 'Grateful to almighty and my Gurudev'
In a candid conversation with Pinkvilla, Arav Chowdharry spoke about his role of King Dashrath in Shrimad Ramayan. He also highlighted his experience of shooting in heavy costumes and ensembles.
Arav Chowdharry rose to popularity owing to his role as Bhishma in Mahabharat. His iconic portrayal of the mythological character is still viewed as one of his best performances. Besides this, the actor also appeared in Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon? Ek Baar Phir and Sasural Simar Ka 2.
He is currently making buzz owing to his character of King Dashrath in Shrimad Ramayan. Recently, Arav spoke to us and shared his thoughts about his part in the show and other related aspects.
Arav Chowdharry's reaction when offered Shrimad Ramayan
In a conversation with Pinkvilla, Arav Chowdharry spilled the beans on his initial reaction when he was first approached to play King Dashrath in Shrimad Ramayan. The actor said, "There's hardly anything for the perception that we have of Maharaj Dashrath as in his role, in terms of footage. So. I said why do you want me. I mean, you can cast anyone and there's nothing much to do. So I really don't think that I would, because the last time we worked together, Swastik and me, was on Mahabharat and post that we have not work. Precisely, that is the reason. Please come and meet us and we'll carry forward."
He added, "So I said, but there's nothing. They said, no, there is everything. We sat and then they gave me narration, and then they told me how they wanted to mount the show. It's a 1 hour episode, and the story begins with Maharaj Nemi, who then in terms of his valor and everything, and then how he goes, how strong he is, and then how he goes on war to help Indra, and then he wins that war, and then that's how he's named Dashrath. Hence, it's the entire journey of Dashrath. So I said, okay, that is interesting. So that's how I came on board. And yes, I am so grateful to the almighty and my Gurudev that I got to play for two of the biggest Indian epics, Mahabharat and Ramayana. So I'm part of both of them."
Arav Chowdharry on the vibe at Shrimad Ramayan sets
When asked about what kind of environment prevails on the sets of Shrimad Ramayan, Arav commented, "I'm neither serious nor do I let someone else be serious. We have fun every day and every moment. For the last month, the whole week, we've been filming for 19, 20 hours. We started in the day, and then we shot the whole night till the next day. And then we're just sitting, and the morale is down, and then suddenly I will chant 'Siyapati Ramchandra ki Jai' and 'Pawanputra Hanuman ki.." and the whole unit will say 'Jai.' Not only that, we have fun and laughter and we talk and we have jokes. So there's a lot happening."
Further, the actor shared his experience of shooting in heavy costumes and royal attire. Arav Chowdharry expressed, "The most difficult part is the mukut which I refer to as 'helmet.' But the actual helmet is not so heavy and weighs light. I've been a rider for forever, and I've been riding bikes. Still, this helmet of mine is, I don't know how many kgs, but whoever says anything about it being easy or something else, the moment I remove it and I put it in their hand, not even on head, they're like, oh, it is heavy to wear it and to walk with it and to emote with it."
"Beyond a time of 10 to 15 minutes, the head starts spinning, and you don't know what's happening. So, after every take, I just take it out. It is not a regular thing that you wear jeans and T-shirts, and you move on, on a set, and you start filming. It's difficult," the Mahabharat actor added.
Arav Chowdharry on Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha
Continuing the conversation with us, Arav Chowdharry expressed his excitement about the Ram Mandir consecration ceremony. He explained, "I'm still into it, actually. And that day we were on set, we were filming here and I had posted a reel from the Ayodhya set itself. What I feel is that not only the whole country but the entire world has risen up to this occasion, and everybody is feeling it and going through it. The biggest part is that I have not seen even a single festival, whether it is Diwali holy or any other festival, which has had such an amazing amount of energy and enthusiasm."
"When I move out on the streets, it's just everybody is just greeting everybody with Jai Siya Ram, you know, and there's flags all over everywhere. People are moving with the flags in their hands. And it's such an awesome feeling that the entire environment has become so divine with Lord Rama's name," the actor added.
Lastly, throwing light on his work and projects in the industry, Arav commented, "I do each and every genre, and I do all kinds of roles, movies, and television. It is not just that, but with Bhishma being so hugely popular and now Ramayan being so hugely popular and Dashrath being loved so much, these are the characters that stay with you forever."
ALSO READ: Shrimad Ramayan Cast: Sujay Reu as Lord Rama to Prachi Bansal as Mata Sita; here's full list
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