Arun Govil is best known for playing the role of Lord Rama in Ramanand Sagar's epic television series Ramayan (1987). Govil was born in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. He got his formal education at Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where he studied engineering science and acted in some plays. He spent his teenage life in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His father wanted him to become a government servant while Arun wanted to do something for which he would be remembered. In 1975, He moved to Mumbai to join his brother's business there. After a short while, he found that he no longer enjoyed the work and decided to find something more enjoyable. After doing dramas in college he decided to start acting. Govil got his first break in Indian cinema in the 1977 film Paheli, when he was introduced to Tarachand Barjatya by his sister-in-law Tabassum. Barjatya was really impressed by Govil's performance in the film and he signed him a three-film-deal - Kanak Mishra's Sawan Ko Aane Do (1979), Vijay Kapoor's Raadha Aur Seeta (1979) and Satyen Bose's Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin (1979). Sawan Ko Aane Do became a major success at box office catapulting Govil to stardom. Raadha Aur Seeta was a box office failure while Saanch Ko Aanch Nahin was another success at box office. He featured in Kanak Mishra's Jiyo To Aise Jiyo (1981). Govil made his television debut with Ramanand Sagar's Vikram Betaal and in 1987 he starred in Ramayan and became a household name.