Ramanand Sagar’s historical ‘Ramayana’ gave such a golden period to Indian television history, which made every small and big artist working in it immortal in every household. At that time, people had started considering these artists not just as actors but as actual gods, but the wheel of time turned in such a way that while some stars are still at the heights of fame, there were some who got recognition but could not stay in the film industry for long. Today we are talking about the great actor Sunil Verma, who played many important characters including Jatayu in ‘Ramayana’. There was a time when even the elderly would fall at the feet of Sunil Verma, but today this talented actor is stuck in the darkness of anonymity and is forced to do small projects to earn his living.
Inherited acting and journey to Mumbai
Sunil Verma inherited the art of acting. His father himself was an actor, who played the role of a doctor in the film ‘Bandini’ produced by famous actor Ashok Kumar. This was the reason that when Sunil decided to make acting his career, he got full support from the entire family. Along with studies, he continued participating in plays and also appeared in Doordarshan programs. After encouragement from people at the local level, he reached the city of dreams Mumbai to try his luck. After coming to Mumbai, he started working in plays in the famous Prithvi Theatre, where his acting was highly appreciated.
Vijay Kavish changed his luck and got ‘Ramayana’
While working at Prithvi Theatre, Sunil Verma met actor Vijay Kavish, who played the role of Lord Shiva in ‘Ramayana’. Both of them had worked together in a play. Vijay Kavish recognized the talent hidden within Sunil and invited him to come to Ramanand Sagar’s office. After this, Vijay Kavish took him to meet Ramanand Sagar, where he was asked to come to Umargaon in Gujarat. Sunil Verma’s first audition was for the role of ‘Indradev’ in Umargaon. Ramanand Sagar liked his audition so much that he immediately made Sunil a part of the show.
Played many challenging characters in one show
Sunil Verma was not limited to just one role in ‘Ramayana’, rather he played about 6 different characters in this serial, demonstrating his versatility. After Indradev, he played the role of Lord Garun and the most emotional character of ‘Jatayu’. Apart from this, he was also seen as Ravana’s son, Chyavan Rishi and Sutiksha Muni. He had to face a lot of difficulties in playing the character of Jatayu. Due to the heavy crown and costume, he could not even move his neck, he had to act only by moving his eyes. Regarding Jatayu’s flying sequences, Sunil Lahiri, who played the character of Laxman, had once shared, ‘Jatayu’s costume was very heavy. Earlier, the actor’s hands were tied in that costume so that he could move the wings and then they were flown in the air with the help of a hook. This was a very risky and tiring task.
Jatayu’s costume was very heavy. Earlier, the actor’s hands were tied in that costume so that he could move the wings and then they were flown in the air with the help of a hook.
Scene of Jatayu fainting.
Working with big stars and the era of Hindi cinema
After the immense success of ‘Ramayana’, Sunil Verma also worked with Ramanand Sagar in ‘Uttar Ramayana’. After this he was also offered a role in ‘Shri Krishna’, but due to his busy schedule he could not do it. At that time, he was shooting for Sanjay Khan’s film ‘Sarzameen’, in which veteran Bollywood actor Vinod Khanna was playing the role of his elder brother. Apart from this, Sunil Verma also showcased his acting skills in Sanjay Khan’s famous historical serial ‘Tipu Sultan’. Talking about films, he worked in big films like ‘Hathiyaar’, ‘Fateh’ and Divya Bharti’s last superhit film ‘Rang’, where he got a chance to share the screen with big stars like Jitendra, Amrita Singh and Ayesha Jhulka.
Lack of work and anonymous life in Patna
As time passed, Sunil Verma got less work in big banner films and TV shows. He turned away from mainstream acting and turned towards commercials, but even there he could not remain very active. According to media reports, Sunil Verma is now living his life in Patna, the capital of Bihar, away from the world of glitz. Due to financial constraints and livelihood crisis, today she is forced to work in B-grade films, which include films like ‘I’m a Play Girl’. Sunil Verma himself has also mentioned this on his social media accounts. However, while talking openly about his situation and struggle, Sunil Verma had said in an interview, ‘Apart from these small acting projects, I am also managing a small business of my own to run my livelihood.’
Apart from these small acting projects, I am also managing a small business of my own to earn my livelihood.
Also read: Who was the veteran director Anik Dutta? Whose film won 2 National Awards, the ending was painful, he died after falling from the roof.
