Divine Intervention

At first,it was beetroot-red embarrassing. “People would come up with heads bowed,folded hands,and touch our feet,asking for our blessings!” it took time for Debina Bonnerjee to get used to ‘being Sita’. That NDTV Imagine’s Ramayan would elevate her to a heavenly status was something Debina had not signed up for. But now that they are nearing the end of this maha epic,both Gurmeet Choudhary who plays Lord Rama,and Debina are enjoying playing God. “Feels like heaven,” shoots Gurmeet,who,over the months,has lend a more human,more handsome touch to Lord Rama’s character he essays. “He came on earth in a human form,and I thought why not give him all the human emotions…he was a warrior,and he seriously can’t fight with a smile on his face!” Gurmeet rewinds to Arun Govil days. As for Sita’s role,Debina says the Goddess stands for eternal strength. “I wasn’t sure about the Agnipariksha first,but then,after much thought and deliberation,I realized that when she never questioned her God,who are we to doubt him?” while Debina’s grown to be more like her,Gurmeet’s picked on Lord Rama’s ‘think and then act’ nature.

Interestingly,both actors were picked by Sagar Arts after seeing them on screen on India’s first 3D on television,Mayavi. “It was telecast all over,and won at the Seon Film Festival,Korea,” tells Debina. “I was the villain in that,and they made me Rama,” laughs Gurmeet,brushing back the tresses that suit Rama’s character. From learning chaste Hindi,wearing a royal look,earning the love,respect and awe of a religious audience to putting Baroda on the Indian map as another spiritual spot,being part of Ramayan has made these two pretty ‘holy’. Ask them life after Ramayan,and they’re definitely going to miss this heavenly touch. In the meantime,keep a lookout for Gurmeet in Mukta Arts Cycle Kick,and Debina,who is First President of Indian National Congress WC Bonnerjee’s descendent,in more films,and music videos.