Actor Sunil Lahri, best known for playing Lakshman in the iconic TV show Ramayan, wished his on-screen bhabhi aka Dipika Chikhlia on her birthday on the 29th.The actress had essayed the role of Sita in the show. Taking to his social media account, Sunil fondly referred to Dipika as his “bhabhi” and shared a warm message recalling their long-standing bond that goes back even before Ramayan, to their days working on the show Vikram Aur Betaal.In his video message, he said, “Pranam friends, today is the birthday of Mata Sita of Ramayan. I have already wished her in advance. When we went to the holy land of Akshaya Vat in Prayagraj, I prayed to God to keep her happy, healthy and grant her a long life.”He added, “Once again, I wish her a very happy birthday and pray for her well-being and longevity. I have known her since the days of Vikram Vetal, and even today we share a bond of love and respect. May God always keep this relationship intact. Jai Shiv.”For the uninitiated, Sunil Lahri and Dipika Chikhlia became household names with their roles as Lakshman and Sita in the television classic Ramayan.Talking about Ramayan, the show remains one of the most iconic television shows of all time.The cast of the show, immediately after the show’s airing in the late 80s, went on to receive massive fan followings and great success.The show starred Arun Govil as Lord Ram, Sunil Lahri as Lakshman, Arvind Trivedi as Ravan, Dara Singh as Hanuman and Dipika Chikhlia as Sita.The serial aired in 1987, ran for a year and went off air in 1988 on Doordarshan.For the uninitiated, the show that aired every Sunday would bring streets to a standstill back in the day, every Sunday, as viewers would flock to TV sets that were rare in the 80s era. In 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, the show Ramayan was re-telecast on Doordarshan and ran for over two months.
