Ramayana's Ravan Arvind Trivedi passes away at 82, PM mourns demise

Mumbai, Oct 6 (IANS) Veteran theatre and film actor Arvind Trivedi - who shot to national fame in the role of Demon King Ravana in Ramanand Sagar's 'Ramayana' - has passed away, his family said here on Wednesday. He was 82.

Trivedi was ailing since a long time with age-related issues, according to his nephew and Gujarat theatre producer Kaustubh Trivedi.

The end came late on Tuesday at his home in Kandivali west suburb and the last rites were performed at the Dahanukarwadi Crematorium.

Brother of veteran Gujarati actor Upendra, Trivedi also acted in another popular teleseries "Vikram Aur Betaal" and "Vishwamitra", and over 300 Gujarati and Hindi films.

From 1991, he briefly joined politics and was elected as a Lok Sabha MP from Gujarat's Sabarkantha constituency on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket, serving a full term till 1996, besides serving as CBFC Chairman for a brief period in 2002-2003.

Several prominent personalities from the Gujarati and Hindi film industry, including his co-actors in Sagar's 1986 television magnum opus "Ramayana", mourned Trivedi's demise.

Condoling Trivedi's death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described him as "not only an exceptional actor but also was passionate about public service, and for generations of Indians, he will be remembered for his work in the Ramayan TV serial".