Arun Govil, who is famous for playing Lord Ram in the iconic 1987-88 TV show 'Ramayan', and in two other mythological serials thereafter, has completed 95 per cent of the shoot of his film on the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, enigmatically titled 'Six Nine Five (6,9,5)'.
Govil proposes to release the film around the same time when the Ram Temple is formally inaugurated in Ayodhya. Seen most recently in the web series, 'Jubilee', where he plays a Karachi cinema owner caught in the whirlwind of Partition and forced to migrate to Mumbai.
In 'Six Nine Five (6,9,5)', Govil plays a 'sadhu' who dedicates his life to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and sees it gain momentum after its inception.
The film gets its name from the three numbers Govil considers to be the most significant for the Ram Janmabhoomi movement -- the Babri Masjid was pulled down on December 6, 1992; the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Ram Janmabhoomi on November 9, 2019; and Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the new temple's foundation stone on August 5, 2020.
'Six Nine Five (6,9,5)' has been shot at real locations in Ayodhya, notably Hanuman Garhi, Dashrath Mahal, Digambar Akhada, Ram Ki Paidi, Guptar Ghat, Raj Ghat and Jhunki Ghat.
The actor revealed that during the shoot several cast members got emotional while filming at locations associated with Lord Ram.
Govil recalled: "It is not an easy film and portraying the real truth and emotions on camera at the real location was cathartic. The storyline and the shooting experience has been very emotional, to be honest."
He said the film will take viewers back to "the past of the Ram Janmabhoomi and the struggle for it in Ayodhya". Govil added: "I firmly believe it is high time we should know about our history."
Commenting on the project, Champat Rai, general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, echoed Govil's sentiments. He said: "People need to be made aware of the truth about our history, and if the movie truly aims to do that, I would love to lend my support to it. When I first heard the narrative, I let the filmmakers know I would be happy to support the movie and offer any assistance that was needed."
The film also stars Ashok Samarth, Mukesh Tiwari, Govind Namdev, Akhilendra Mishra and Gajendra Chauhan in lead roles. The film, helmed by Yogesh Bharadwaj, is produced by Shyam Chawla and co-produced by Rajneesh Berry, and will have a nationwide theatrical release later this year.
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