I have not read The Ramayana- Kunal Verma

Maybe the best example of brotherly love in Indian history is that of Lakshmana’s devotion towards his elder brother Lord Rama in the Great Epic The Ramayana. On Life OK’s Devon Ke Dev… Mahadev (Triangular Films Company), Kunal Verma who is currently playing Lakshmana was initially in a dilemma when offered the role, “I had to think for a while as it is a mythological. I have not read The Ramayana. Of course during Ganesh puja during Ganpati, The Ramayan is read out but the language is too difficult for me to comprehend.”

To prepare for this role, he watched Ramanand Sagar’s The Ramayan (Doordarshan) and asked his parents about the historical character he is playing. “I saw that Lakshmana was quite angry in the Doordarshan series. I was however asked to be calm in the initial episodes of this series. I do not know if my character will display rage later.”

Is he reading The Ramayana now that he is playing a role in it? “Shooting is so hectic that I hardly get the time to eat. That is why I can’t read the original Ramayana but I must say that I am reading it as I read the script.”

About his co-star Piyush Sahdev who plays Lord Rama he says, “He is an amazing guy who is like my real elder brother.”

Regarding the popularity of historicals and mythological he says, “Yes, they have a huge fan following. With the work on chroma (technology) improving, they have all the more followers. Mahadev is one of the most watched shows on Indian television.”