Ramayan's 'Ravan' Arvind Trivedi passes away at 82

Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi, who is best known for his portrayal of Raavan in Ramayan, passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday. He was 82 when he breathed his last.

Mumbai: Veteran actor Arvind Trivedi, who is best known for his portrayal of Raavan in Ramayan, passed away in Mumbai on Tuesday night. He was 82 when he breathed his last. Arvind’s Ramayan co-star Sunil Lahiri shared a picture of the late actor and confirmed his death on Instagram early Wednesday morning.

According to media reports, the veteran actor was not keeping well for quite some time and died after suffering a heart attack and multiple organ failure.

During his 40-year long film and TV career, he had acted in close to 300 films including Hindi and Gujarati. Besides hugely popular Ramayan, the prolific actor also acted in “Vikram Aur Betaal.” The veteran actor also acted in several social and mythological films as well. Apart from having a successful career in TV industry, Trivedi was also a Member of Parliament from 1991 to 1996. He was selected from the Sabarkatha constituency.

The actor, who was unwell and was even unable to walk, died due to a heart attack in Mumbai. Arvind's last rites were performed on Wednesday, around 8 am.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences over the death of the actor tweeted, "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."

A Screenshot grabbed from the official Twitter handle of PM Modi

Earlier this year, fake news about Arvind's death had circulated online and Lahiri confirmed that he was fine. He shared a picture and wrote in May 2021, "Nowadays, we are inundated with bad news because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and this time, it was fake news about Arvind Trivedi ji (Raavan). I request those who are spreading such false rumours to refrain from doing so... By God's grace, Arvind ji is fine and I pray that God always keeps him healthy."

Ramanand Sagar wrote, helmed and produced the cult hit TV show 'Ramayan'. The series, which first aired on Doordarshan in 1987, had a re-run on the small screen after the COVID-19 pandemic-induced lockdown was announced last year. The re-telecast, which aired on DD National, saw many people tuning in. Apart from playing the iconic character of Ravan in 'Ramayan', Arvind had also played a pivotal role in the hit TV show 'Vikram Aur Betaal'.

The late star had a prolific career spanning more than three decades in the Gujarati cinema. 'Desh Re Joya Dada Pardesh Joya' remains one of the most popular Gujarati films of all time.

With agency Inputs