Gurmeet Choudhary became famous with the role of Lord Ram: He said, 'Ramayana' resides in the family, father's name is 'Sitaram', mother-in-law's 'Shabari', village 'Jairampur'.

On January 22, Lord Shri Ram's life will be consecrated in the Ram temple in Ayodhya. During a special conversation with Dainik Bhaskar, Gurmeet Choudhary shared some interesting things related to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Temple and his show 'Ramayana'. Gurmeet was seen in the role of Lord Ram in 'Ramayana' telecast on TV in 2008.

Gurmeet's wife Debina Banerjee was seen in the role of Sita. During that time both were dating each other. Some highlights of the conversation:

Being associated with the show 'Ramayana', how do you feel seeing the inauguration of Ram Temple?

I consider myself lucky. It was a matter of pride for me to get a chance to work in 'Ramayana' at the age of 24. The bigger thing was that Debina, who had become Sitaji in the show, also became my Sita in real life.

About two years ago, Debina and I had gone to Ayodhya, at that time the temple was being built. The way the festival of Lord Ram's arrival is being celebrated in our country today, it is difficult to express this emotion in words. It seems as if Ramji is really about to arrive at his home. His arrival is being celebrated not only in India but all over the world.

How do you think the fans of the show 'Ramayana' will feel after seeing the Ram temple actually being built?

I believe that Ram is an emotion. No matter which religion or caste you belong to, his life is a lesson for all of us. We all have definitely learned something from him. I remember, when I used to do 'Ramayana', small children used to be my fans. He was a fan of Lord Ram. These fans are still connected with me.

Seeing the Ram temple actually being built was no less than a dream come true for them. I am sure that our entire family will go to Ayodhya together and come closer to 'Ramayana'. This is a very emotional moment for all of us Ram devotees. We were waiting for this moment for a very long time and now seeing this happening, it is really no less than Diwali for us.

What role do you think the temple plays in today's society? How does it contribute to cultural and religious harmony?

See, the temple is a place where there is positivity all around. When a person goes to that place with full faith, he also returns positive. The wishes of many people are fulfilled there. This is a place where different people come together and discuss about God.

So, there is no doubt that this temple will definitely contribute to our cultural and religious harmony.

Did working in the show 'Ramayana' give you a personal connection with the city of Ayodhya?

Yes absolutely. When I went to that city two years ago, the people there started calling me and Debina as Ram and Sita. That moment was very emotional for us. Ayodhya is an amazing place, there is a temple in the courtyard of every house. One gets a lot of peace at that religious place.

I remember we had wished for our children there and after so many wishes, happiness came to our house. What could be a greater personal connection with that city for us than this?

As the inauguration of Ram Mandir is coming closer, what are your personal emotions about it?

My father's name is Sita Ram, mother-in-law's name is Shabari and the name of my village is Jairampur. Ramayana lives in my family. Today when the Ram temple is finally being inaugurated, there is no greater happiness for us than this. Well, I think Ayodhya has become fortunate with the arrival of Shri Ram. The people present there have started getting work. I am sure that this city will become very big in the coming days.

What was that thing of Shri Ram that he follows in his real life also?

I shot 'Ramayana' for almost one and a half years and during that time, I realized that Lord Ram was not perturbed under any circumstances. No matter what problems or difficulties he faced, he always had a smile on his face.

Even when he was sentenced to 14 years of exile, he went away happily. From that time onwards these words of Ramji had settled in my mind. Even in real life, I try not to panic in any situation.

Apart from your character, who is your favorite character in the epic 'Ramayana' and why?

Sitaji. I believe that no one can make the sacrifice he made. During the shooting of 'Ramayana', Debina used to cry many times while doing the scenes of Sitaji. I have seen Debina very closely. Initially I thought that Debina and I would stay together through the show, then we had a new love.

But, there were times when we would shoot separately. Even in 'Ramayana', despite the love between Lord Ram and Sita, they could not live together for long. It still hurts to think about it.