Gautam Rode, Ashish Sharma and more: Drop-dead gorgeous gods on TV

They don’t just look benevolent anymore, but downright hot — TV’s mythological characters are getting a makeover like never before.

From Ram, Lakshman and (even) Raavan from Siya Ke Ram to Hanuman and Karna from Suryaputra Karna, these mythological heroes are ruling the small screen with elan.

Ashish Sharma as Ram in Siya Ke Ram

He shot to fame with Rangrasiya, but his character of Lord Ram in the ongoing show Siya Ke Ram has added to his stardom. The 31-year-old actor looks divinely desirable and you can’t deny that. “Being an actor, I think any form of adulation is amazing. And I love that it comes from my fans, male or female,” he says.

Gautam Rode as Karna in Surya Putra Karna

Gautam Rode, a small screen heartthrob, essays the role of Karna in Surya Putra Karna. But he doesn’t really like it when people praise him merely for his looks. “I listen to it from one ear and let it go. The reason I share my workout videos on Instagram is that I want my fans to be fit and it is not something that I want to flaunt. I would be happier if someone came to me and told me good things about my acting skills. That is what would make me feel better,” says the 38-year-old actor.

Karthik Jayaram as Ravan in Siya Ke Ram

Karthik, a well-known name in the Kannada industry, essays the role of Ravan in Siya Ke Ram. The 36-year-old engineer landed some big roles down south and since then there has been no looking back for him. “I enjoy female attention. For me my work matters the most. We are actors, we don’t have any problem being a pin-up guy for our fans,” he says.

Nirbhay Wadhwa as Hanuman in Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman

Nirbhay was first seen as Dushashan in Mahabharat and now he is playing Hanuman’s role in Sankat Mochan Mahabali Hanuman. The 28-year-old hails from Jaipur and was a part of several print and TV ads before getting into acting. “Before playing Hanuman, I’d also played Dushashan’s role in Mahabharata and the response was overwhelming. It feels really great that you have a huge fan following by merely being a part of the mythological shows. This shows that it is not only the daily soaps that work on TV,” he says.

Karan Suchak as Lakshman in Siya Ke Ram

Karan Suchak, who plays Lakshman in Siya Ke Ram, is adding to the hotness quotient. When he and Ashish Sharma come together on screen, it’s a treat to watch the two. Ask him how he takes all the female adulation and the 29-year-old actor says, “I am glad that people watch the show because of me and I am absolutely fine being an eye candy for them if that’s what brings them to watch my show.”