Sunil Lahri was to play Shatrughna in Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan, but a twist of fate made him Lakshman, here's the untold story
Arun Govil as Ram, Deepika Chikhalia as Sita, and Sunil Lahri as the fiery, loyal Laxman left a mark so deep, it still feels unmatched. But did you know that Sunil Lahri was never the original choice for Laxman? He was supposed to play Shatrughan.
How did Sunil Lahri end up as Laxman?
In an interview with Laughing Colours, Sunil Lahri revealed that during the auditions for the show, he was initially selected for the role of Shatrughan. He shared, 'I was selected for Shatrughan. However, I also said that if I do it, it will be the role of Laxman. I neither wanted to play Ram nor Shatrughan nor Bharat.'
But at that point, the role of Laxman had already been given to actor Shashi Puri.
Sunil recalls the moment that changed everything. One day, while crossing the road after a shoot at Nagi Villa, a car almost hit him and braked sharply. It turned out to be Ramanand Sagar himself.
Sagar called him to the office later and said, 'You wanted to play the role of Laxman, so you do that role. I want you to do it.' Sunil, taken aback, requested two days to think.
What happened to the original Laxman? Sunil then called Shashi Puri, who was originally cast as Laxman and had already shot several episodes. Shashi, unsure about the show's future, told him, 'You do this role because I'm leaving.'
This handover sealed the deal. Sunil accepted the offer, and what followed was the most iconic role of his career.
From a reluctant audition to nearly missing the part, Sunil Lahri's journey to becoming Laxman was pure serendipity. And while Ravi Dubey is all set to bring Laxman to life again in the 2025 version, it's safe to say, Sunil Lahri's Laxman still lives in every Indian household.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
35 minutes ago
- News18
Ashutosh Rana Responds To Fans Wanting Him As Lord Ram In Ramayana Instead Of Ranbir Kapoor
Last Updated: Ranbir Kapoor will play Lord Ram in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana. Ashutosh Rana was initially approached for the role. Ranbir Kapoor is all set to play Lord Ram in the upcoming film Ramayana, but some fans feel Ashutosh Rana would've been a better choice. The internet has been buzzing with comments saying he's perfect for the role. When asked about it, Ashutosh didn't seem bothered. He simply said that he believes everything happens at the right time and every role comes to the right person. He also shared that he's happy with the part he's playing. Not many know that Ashutosh Rana was initially approached to play Lord Rama in the film. In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Ashutosh Rana said, 'Mera apna yeh manna hai ki jo cheez aapke prarambh mein, aapki tamaam bhaag mein bhagwan ne likhi hogi woh apne aap pahunch jaati hai. Aap sirf ek jagah par baithkar, dhairyapurvak pratiksha kijiye. Pratiksha aur dhairya agar sahi staan par ki jaa rahi hoon toh fal bhi hoti hai. Toh main yeh maanta hoon ki aap kya sochte hai? Main yeh maanke chalta hoon ki humaara ek naatak hai, Ram Naam ke naatak mein main Ravan ka kidaar nibha raha hoon." (I personally believe that whatever is destined for you, whatever God has written in your fate, will find its way to you. You just need to sit in one place and wait patiently. If your patience and waiting are in the right direction, they bear fruit. That's what I believe. What do you think? I go by the belief that life is like a play, and in the play named 'Ram Naam,' I am simply portraying the character of Ravan). He further said, 'Aap apne mitro se zyada apne shatru ke naam ka chintan karte hai. Toh jiska aap chintan mann mein smran karte ho aap unke jaise hojaate hai. Toh agar hum Ram ka kirdaar nibha rahe hote toh Ram ji apne baare mein toh naa sochte rehete? Aur agar woh apne baare mein sochte, toh woh fir hum unko Ram kaise kehete?" (You think more about your enemies than your friends. And whoever you constantly think about, you start becoming like them. So, if we were playing the role of Ram, would Lord Ram have spent his time thinking about himself? And if he did think about himself all the time, then how would we still call him 'Ram'?) Ramayana, touted as one of the most expensive, is reportedly being made on a budget of Rs 1600 crore. The two-part films are directed by Nitesh Tiwari and will release on Diwali. The film stars Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita, Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, Sunny Deol as Hanuman and Sheeba Chaddha as Manthara. KGF star Yash has joined the film to play the role of Raavan and fulfill the duties of a co-producer. First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
The banana survives in Batumi; India gets its first-ever Women's World Cup champion in Divya Deshmukh
Divya Deshmukh beat Koneru Humpy to become the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup in Georgia. Her companion through it all was a banana. NEW DELHI: In Batumi, Georgia, the final handshake left nineteen-year-old Divya Deshmukh full of raw emotions and tears — not just for the game she had just won, but for what it meant: India, for the first time ever, had a Women's World Cup chess champion — her closest companion in that moment were not her parents, coach or a fan, but a humble banana. Yes, a banana, untouched through the tension and triumph, now turned into the most unassuming witness to one of Indian chess's most glorious days. In chess, White pieces traditionally hold the advantage by virtue of the first move. But Divya had the black pieces, going into the decider of Monday's rapid tie-break against thirty-eight-year-old legendary Grandmaster (GM) Koneru Humpy, after all three previous classical and rapid games had ended in draws. The game teetered delicately, move after move, until Humpy cracked under the time pressure on move 40. Her sequence, 40.e4 followed by 41.d5, forced Divya to play and the veteran survived the first time. But it was not the last. The game stayed on a knife's edge from there, with both players trading blunders and brilliance, led more by instinct than calculation as the clock ticked menacingly. When Humpy played 69.h7, the evaluation bar dropped again but never climbed back in her favour. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like TV providers are furious: this gadget gives you access to all channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Six moves later, the two-time World Rapid champion resigned. And with it came the coronation of a champion, a new queen of 64 squares, India's 88th GM. The board as Divya Deshmukh became the first Indian to win the Women's Chess World Cup. It felt like a dream that the 15th-seed teenager, with no Grandmaster norms coming into the tournament, had just become only the fourth female in India after Humpy, D Harika, and R Vaishali to achieve the distinction. But unlike the other three, she did it in one swing, without amassing the three GM norms. The playing hall rose in applause. But there, quietly soaking up all the drama, sat the banana, an omnipresent figure in Divya's games these days. It had followed the Indian prodigy through round after round, a prop that puzzled many and amused more. Let's rewind to Sunday evening, after the draw in the second classical game of the final, Divya was eventually asked about it. 'I mean, what else am I going to do with the banana? I'm going to eat it,' she answered. 'I don't know what you're wondering about. I'm going to eat it, obviously.' Except, she never did. Divya Deshmukh on the podium after winning the gold medal at the FIDE Women's Chess World Cup. (Image: X/FIDE) 'My opponents are never letting me eat it,' she smiled, when pressed further. 'If I start eating a banana, then you should know that I'm pretty relaxed in my body.' But since there was no room for relaxation, the banana became her constant in the chaos. When asked if it was proving lucky, she laughed it off with a quick 'No!' But then again, we've all seen Rafael Nadal fuss over his water bottles and MS Dhoni with his glove rituals. Nevertheless, the banana sat just centimetres away, enjoyed the best view as Divya took down a player twice her age, earning the admiration of legends and the love of a 150-crore-strong nation. And now, while Divya may not have bitten into that, she has something far sweeter to sink her teeth into: a gold medal. Divya Deshmukh survived Batumi. So did the banana. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Kyunki, saas bahu and suffering never go out of style
Old films re-releasing in theatres seem to have inspired the television industry to bring back the one bahu who ruled them all. Tulsi Virani and her family make a comeback in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kahi Bahu Thi (part deux or redux, take your pick) on Star Plus from the 29th of July. I can't help but wonder if I am nostalgic or disappointed. Nostalgic about the return of Tulsi on her moral high horse, or disappointed with the stagnation of television programming in India, that allows a 25-year-old show to remain relevant. Interestingly, I was working with the channel that broadcast the show when it went off the air in 2008. I recall it being a big deal that Tulsi Virani would no longer be on our screens. Well, not anymore. As Kyunki makes a return after all these years, and potentially opens the door for other erstwhile soap operas to return, or be rebooted, I can't help but wonder – what is it about watching a woman suffer and make unrealistic sacrifices that appeals to people? Or, for that matter, watching a family or home turn into a hotbed for indiscretions and crime? Does the chaos and unhappiness of someone else's home make us feel better about our own? Is it trauma bonding, where we feel like we are not the only ones suffering in a bad marriage or toxic family? Maybe in some cases, it's an opportunity to acknowledge toxicity and potentially course correct one's behaviour. Ekta Kapoor's rise coincided with the establishment of the daily soap as appointment viewing on Hindi GEC. The small screen czarina seemingly found inspiration in the closeted dysfunction of Indian homes. She went on to create multiple stories of love, marriage, suffering, tragedy and crime that audiences lapped up every evening, week after week, for years together. In a country where we once enjoyed shows like Buniyaad, Saans, Kora Kagaz, or Dekh Bhai Dekh, Kapoor single-handedly changed our viewing palettes and diets. Whether it was Kyunki, Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, Kkusum, Kasamh Se, Kayamath, Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii, Kundali, Kis Desh Mein Hain Meraa Dil, or Kkavyanjali, the K sagas shaped television programming in India for over a decade and made domestic upheavals the mainstay of our weeknight programming. What all these shows had in common, apart from an alphabet, was that they are/were drenched in the tears of the female protagonist whose life was an unending obstacle course of misunderstandings and misery. Along the way, she also sermonised like a priest about sanskaar and sindoor and cooked like bonded labour. The problem is not just that these daily soaps promoted regressive ideas like equating your spouse to your fate/destiny (Kumkum Bhagya), made marriage and motherhood the essence of a woman's life, or glorified women for tolerating infidelity, abuse and harassment to make their marriage work. The larger problem was that the pressure of producing five or more episodes a week irreversibly impacted the quality of content we were producing. Scripts were replaced with background score and sound effects, performances with VFX (remember the lightning strikes and freeze frames), and realism with melodrama. Add to this the pressure of weekly ratings, which meant that shows soon gave up on their resolve to differentiate themselves or stick to what the progressive launch promo promised. Take Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi itself. The show, which was meant to celebrate Indian joint families and the values that hold us together, had characters across generations commit indiscretions and even sexual offences. The leading man, Mihir, whose death left an entire nation in mourning, had an extramarital affair with Mandira that produced an illegitimate son. Mihir and Tulsi's eldest son Gautam married thrice and his first ex-wife eventually married his cousin. Three female characters are raped, of which one was an instance of marital rape. Tulsi killed her son Ansh in a Mother India moment, and took her mother-in-law Savita off life support, though euthanasia is illegal in India. Babies were swapped or kidnapped, spouses were bumped off, and women constantly spewed venom at each other. Ironically, for a family that lived in Shanti Niketan, they rarely seemed to have a moment's peace. This was the summary of just one show. Multiple such shows were being broadcast simultaneously, or continue to be, each one with equal or more dysfunction than the next. Thanks to a lot of criticism and perhaps audience fatigue, the situation has marginally improved over the years. Though we still have the occasional bahu turning into a house-fly, snake, supernatural being, making a trip to the moon on a scooter, hanging on a kite or being romanced by a gorilla, Hindi GEC channels have made an effort to create shows that atleast begin with the promise of progressive thought. But sadly, most of them eventually devolve into sordid sagas or have repetitive conflicts. Also Read | Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2, Traitors, IPL, Kapil Sharma: How streaming is replicating television, the very beast it wanted to tame There is a lot of nostalgia among the original audiences about the return of Kyunki, but it remains to be seen if the Virani family will strike a chord like they did two decades ago. The boomers and millennials who grew up watching Tulsi handle her family with tears, slaps, monologues, and, on occasion, even a gun, have all grown up or become older. They have had kids, grandkids, great-grandkids and been exposed to social media, OTT content and smartphones. One can only hope that, since a quarter of a century has passed since we first met the Viranis, they have evolved and their story has saas, bahu, but not half as much saazish. Kyunki, twenty-five years later, all of us deserve better.
