Aâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088round-up of the most popular Ramleelas to visit for a pucca flavour of North India. Krutika Behrawala gets an all-access pass
The community connect
Organiser: u00c2u0080u00c2u0088Adarsh Ramleela Mandal, 52nd year
“When we started staging Ramleela in 1964, film artistes like Niranjan Sharma would perform with us,” informs Rajendra Agarwal, secretary of the Mandal, whose performance sees a crowd of 1,000 on the first day, and it gradually grows to a lakh during the 10-day festival hosted at Girgaum Chowpatty. Previously, the performances were hosted at Shivaji Park too, before it was declared a silent zone. “We bring down an all-male group of artistes as part of Anant Ramleela Mandal from Mathura. We also call technicians from Mathura for special light effects. Our musicians come down from Gwalior and Mathura. Of the five, four are Muslims and one is a Hindu,” he adds. Post Dussehra, the troupe will perform at Borivali and Cotton Green too.
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Till: October 11, 7 pm to 10 pm
At: Girgaum Chowpatty, Charni Road.
From: October 14 to 23
At: Ramleela Maidan, Borivali (W) and opposite Ram Mandir, Cotton Green.
From Ayodhya to Jamaica via Mumbai
Organiser: Maharashtra Ramleela Mandal, 39th year
A member of the mandal waits for his turn at rehearsals. Pic/Sneha Kharabe
Did you know that the B Road at Churchgate is actually known as Pandit Shobhnath Mishra Marg, christened after a gentleman credited for presenting the first Ramleela in the city, back in 1953 at Goa Street in Fort neighbourhood? Later, he founded the Maharashtra Ramleela Mandal, which has been presenting Ram leela for the past 39 years at Azad Maidan. “Previously, locals like paanwalas and taxiwalas would start practising a month prior to the festival and perform on stage. Now, we bring in professional artistes. A narrator sings Chaupais (four-line quatrains) in Awadhi dialect before each performance,” informs Suresh Mishra, general secretary of the organisation. For the last nine years, the team has been bringing down Pathar Mandir Ramleela (or Adarsh Ramleela Mandal) of Ayodhya — believed to be the birthplace of Lord Rama and the setting of the mythological epic Ramayana — to present the 10-day dramatic folk re-enactment of Lord Rama’s life. Under the direction of Shashikant Das Tiwari, the all-male team of 35 artistes has also performed in West Indies, Jamaica and Mauritius. “The male artistes perform female characters but there is no skin show or vulgar song and dance. The performances are bhavnatmak (driven by devotion),” shares Tiwari.
Till: October 11, 6 pm to 10 pm
At: Azad Maidan (entry opposite Metro Cinema), Mahapalika Marg, Fort.
Free
The hands-on act
Organiser: u00c2u0080u00c2u0088Grooming Babies 4th year
Sahba Bhandula with handcrafted puppets. Pics/Nimesh Dave
Wish to introduce your two or six-year-old to brave and righteous King Ram and the patient Queen Sita? Then, take them to attend Ramleela — Relive The Story, a 45-minute puppet drama rendition of Ramayana organised across various locations in the city. In its fourth edition, the show will be conducted by 72-year-old actor-puppeteer Sahba Bhandula, who had also created giant puppets for Ashwin Gidwani’s popular play, Magic Ball.
“There are 10 characters and I have handcrafted all the puppets. In the show, we highlight four landmarks of Ramayana — Ram’s exile, his life in the jungle, abduction of Sita and finally the battle between Ravana and Ram. We primarily use English; however, at times, I have interwoven Hindi sentences when I felt the children needed explanation in an alternate language,” informs Bhandula, who is also the lead narrator of the show, supported by another puppeteer from her team. Together, the duo present eight voices, along with background theme music.
On: October 8, 5 pm
At: NCPA, Nariman Point
Log on to: www.bookmyshow.com (for more dates and venues)
Cost: Rs 350
Meet the second-gen performers
Organiser: u00c2u0080u00c2u0088Shri Shakti Foundation; 23rd year
Three dressed up actors pose prior to taking the stage. Pic/Satej Shinde
To ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ of kids seated in the front row, a male artiste dressed as Hanuman enters to seek blessings of Ram and Sita, portrayed by a man dressed in a woman’s garb. The artistes are part of a 50-member team from Vrindavan that is currently performing the Ramleela organised by Shri Shakti Foundation (earlier known as Ramayan Prachar Samiti), which would earlier do performances at in Juhu too. “We have been inviting the same group for 23 years. There are many second-generation artistes in the Ramleela. For instance, Hari Vallabh Sharma has taken over the narration from his father,” informs Suresh Chaudhary, advisor at the foundation.
Till: October 11, 7 pm to 10 pm
At: Civil defence ground, opposite Versova Metro Station, Andheri (W).
All set for Sita’s Swamyamwar
Organiser: u00c2u0080u00c2u0088Sahitya Kala Manch; 37th year
Rehearsals at Sahitya Kala Manch in Cross Maidan. Pic/Atul Kamble
In a tent pitched on the Azad Maidan ground, director Lekh Ram Sharma gives last-minute instructions about stage entry to an artiste decked up in a traditional gold ensemble and a matching crown perched atop his shoulder-length wig. As the protagonist makes an exit from the makeshift make-up room to cheers of ‘Jai shri Ram’, Sharma readies to cake up for his role as Ravana, the main villain of an epic saga that is Ramayana. They belong to an all-male 40-member team, Brij Vrindavan Ram Krishna Leela Sansthan, which has been coming down to Mumbai from Vrindavan for the past 15 years. While tonight, 2,500-odd guests will witness the sequence of Dhanush Yagya (where Ram broke a bow while stringing it to fulfill the condition for Sita’s swayamvar), tomorrow, will see them celebrate Ram Vivah Mahotsav on the grounds. “The team brings their own costumes, make-up artistes and musicians. In fact, they bring their food too. We just have to give them a place to stay,” informs Vinay Mishra, secretary of Sahitya Kala Manch. On Dussehra night, the performance will culminate with burning of a 60-foot-tall effigy of Ravana.
Till: October 11, 7 pm to 10 pm
At: Azad Maidan (entry opposite BMCâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088Headquarters near CST station), Mahapalika Marg, Fort.
Rama in the digital age
Organiser: u00c2u0080u00c2u0088Sankalp Seva Trust; 2nd year
An LEDâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088screen projects the backdrops for the performance. Pic/Atul Kamble
A 300-square foot white screen, which serves as a backdrop for the stage, lights up with projections of temples, palaces and forests in sync with the performance sequences. While artistes from Ramayana Pracharak Mandal in Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh) have come down to perform the male characters, city’s women performers play female characters. “We use latest technology and sound system for our performances. Last year, 150 artistes from the city underwent a month-long training in Bhiwandi. They formed two groups called Ram Dal and Ravana Dal for the mega battle between the duo on the day of Dussehra. This year, too, we are planning something similar,” informs Rajeshkumar Mishra, treasurer of the Trust. The venue in Ghatkopar also houses a 30-feet tall effigy of Ravana, crafted by artistes from Agra, which will be burnt on the last day.
Till: October 11, 7 pm to 10 pm
At: Acharya Atre Ground, Pant Nagar Colony Road, Ghatkopar (E).
No gender bias, here
Organiser: u00c2u0080u00c2u0088Shri Ramlila Prachar; Samiti, 35th year
Artist Sumit Khetan who dressed as Lord Vishnu during Ramleela at Malad. Pic/Sneha Kharabe
Tonight, if you drop by at Shahaji Raje Kridanga, you will witness Sita, decked in finery, descend on a stage on a 20-foot tall peacock. A troupe of dancers will perform moves as she enacts the Swayamvar sequence, choreographed by Sumit Khetan, who made Ayushmann Khurrana and Sonu Sood dance to his moves. The 27-year-old, who is a joint secretary of the Samiti, has been essaying various roles in the Ramleela, including that of Ram, Laxman and Vishnu. This year, he plays Laxman in the Rajesh Rastogi-directed act. “One year, I even choreographed a sequence where we made the Hanuman fly; it was popular,” he says. While most Ramleelas in the city feature all-male groups, this one includes men and women. “We bring them from Moradabad. All of are well-educated and work at banks and dava (medicine) factories for most part of the year. We have a stock of costumes, but also hire from mythology TV show sets,” informs joint secretary Ashwani Mittal.
Till: October 11, 7.30 pm to 10 pm
At: Shahaji Raje Kridangan, Shivaji Chowk, Haji Zakeria Road, Mamledarwadi, Malad (W).
Half-century for this Ram
Organiser: Ramleela Seva Samiti; 50th year
Make-up in progress. Pic/Atul Kamble
Every evening in September, a group of city residents belonging to parts of Benaras, Allahabad and Sultanpur, would congregate at Bharat Bhavan, in Ballard Estate, to rehearse a script of Ramayana. They included paanwalas, taxi driversâu00c2u0080u00c2u0088and working women. The team, which is part of Shri Shiv Shakti Kala Mandal, an arts wing of the Ramleela Seva Samiti, now performs at Cross Maidan for the 10-day Ramleela performance. “It’s our passion for theatre and devotion to Lord Ram. We don’t perform for professional reasons,” says Nathulal Chaurasia, who has been associated with the organisation since 1972, and has previously performed Bharat’s role, younger brother of Ram. Chaurasia recounts, “In 1961, our director Bhuleshwar Nath Rai met a professor and assembled a script combining Valmiki’s Ramayana with Tulsidas’ version to incorporate principles and teachings. We perform that script, which is in chaste Hindi.” On whether the audience for Ramleela has dwindled with time, Chaurasia admits, “The time limit till 10 pm does not permit our audience, mainly from Mangaldas Market, Dawa Bazaar and Kalbadevi to watch the show in entirety as their businesses remain open till 8 pm. So, they don’t feel like stepping in only for an hour. A Ramleela is best enjoyed if it is seen from start to end.”
Till: October 11, 7 pm to 10 pm
At: Cross Maidan, New Marine Lines
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