Ramayana Icons Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia Reunite After 39 Years for 'Notice', Coming to OTT on November 6

Television's Original Ram and Sita Are Back Together — This Time in a Feature Film

Arun Govil and Dipika Chikhlia Topiwala, the actors best known for portraying Lord Ram and Sita in Ramanand Sagar's iconic 1987 television series 'Ramayan', are set to reunite for their first feature film together in nearly 39 years. The film, titled 'Notice', is directed by Pradeep Gupta and will premiere on the OTT platform Waves on November 6.

The reunion carries extra significance because it arrives just ahead of Govil's appearance as King Dashrath in 'Ramayana: Part 1', which is scheduled for a theatrical release on November 8.

A Modern-Day Ram and Sita in a Village Fight for Justice

In 'Notice', Govil and Chikhlia portray a modern-day Ram and Sita. Producer-actor Aditya Pratap Singh Raghuvanshi describes the project as a contemporary take on the relationship between Ram and Sita. Set in a village, the story follows Govil's character — an ordinary man — as he takes on a corrupt system in his fight for justice, while Chikhlia plays his wife, who stands by him through the struggle.

Raghuvanshi explained the film's central premise to Mid-Day:

"The story has a 150-year-old shop at its centre. All those who have lost their homes or shops due to development will identify with it. And who can tell this story better than Ram and Sita? Where there is a fight between truth and untruth, Ram and Sita's jodi has to be there. You can call it a modern-day Ramayan."

The film leans on the couple's familiar on-screen association to tell a story about ordinary people confronting injustice and the consequences of development — a framing designed to resonate with viewers who still remember them as Ram and Sita from the 1987 television classic.

Why 'Notice' Is Skipping Theatres for an OTT Premiere

'Notice' will begin streaming on Waves on November 6. Explaining the decision to opt for a digital-first release, Raghuvanshi said the team wanted to reach audiences across the country, particularly those who grew up watching Govil and Chikhlia on television.

"We wanted a good OTT reach and Waves has a huge subscriber base. The audiences that go to the theatre today have an urban mindset, but Arunji and Dipikaji's fans are from TV. We thought of reaching the movie through mobiles so that the entire country can appreciate our story and their pairing. Notice will also air on 36 satellite channels."

The release strategy is intended to make the film accessible to viewers beyond the traditional theatrical audience, while also allowing the actors' long-awaited reunion to reach the fans most familiar with their earlier television roles.

A Reunion Nearly Four Decades in the Making

Although 'Notice' marks Govil and Chikhlia's first feature-film collaboration in nearly four decades, the two had already reunited in 2024 for the music video 'Humare Ram Aaye Hai'. Their enduring association with 'Ramayan' has remained a defining part of both careers.

With 'Notice', the actors return to the screen together in a very different setting — this time as a married couple navigating a contemporary struggle for justice rather than a mythological epic.

Govil's Busy Ramayana Slate

Govil's reunion with Chikhlia is not his only Ramayana-linked project on the horizon. He is also set to appear as King Dashrath in 'Ramayana: Part 1', adding another mythological role to his upcoming slate. According to prior coverage from September 28, that adaptation mounts an ensemble cast, with Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravie Dubey as Lakshman and Arun Govil as King Dashrath, alongside Yash, Sunny Deol, Vivek Oberoi, Lara Dutta, Rakul Preet Singh, Indira Krishnan and Sheeba Chaddha. The first chapter of the epic adaptation is scheduled to hit Indian cinemas on November 8, 2026.

For fans who first knew Govil and Chikhlia as television's Ram and Sita, 'Notice' offers an early opportunity to see the pair together again — before Govil returns to the Ramayana universe on the big screen two days later.