Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi, who played Ravana in Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 82. According to a report, the actor was unwell for some time and suffered a heart attack and organ failure. He was 82. In a report by Times of India, his nephew Kaustubh Trivedi confirmed the news and also revealed the cause of death.
Kaustubh told the publication “He was not keeping well for quite some time, but today he suffered a heart attack and that led to multi-organ failure.” He also said that his last rites will take place at Dahanukarwadi crematorium, Kandivali West, in Mumbai on Wednesday morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express his condolence to the late actor’s family. He wrote, “We have lost Shri Arvind Trivedi, who was not only an exceptional actor but also was passionate about public service. For generations of Indians, he will be remembered for his work in the Ramayan TV serial. Condolences to the families and admirers of both actors. Om Shanti.”
Trivedi immortalized the character of Ramayan, which also starred Aruv Govil, Dipika Chikhlia, and Sunil Lahiri as Ram, Sita, and Lakshman, respectively. The show ran from January 1987 to July 1988. The popularity of the show sky-rocketed again after it aired on TV again during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Last year, a video of him watching the Ramayan scene where Ravan kidnaps Sita, went Viral. He could be seen getting emotional and praying to the screen.
Apart from Ramayan, Arvind Trivedi also played pivotal roles in Vikram Aur Betaal. He has also acted in around 250 films, mainly in the Gujarati film industry. The actor also dabbled in politics by serving as a Member of Parliament from 1991 to 1996.