This leela has a cause

Mona

They might be the arch enemies on stage, but off it they join hands to make this world a better place. Around this time of the year, every October you can see Ram, Lakshman and Raavan lying side by side on beds donating blood or riding a bicycle together to promote their anti-pollution stance! 

Maintaining cultural ties with ancient tradition on one side, different Ramleela committees in the city also take up a cause. 

Go green

This Wednesday, you can join hands with Ram, Lakshman and Raavan dressed in their full finery to plant trees in Sector 28. “Sanskriti jitni zaruri hai utna hi paryavaran bhi (If tradition is important, so is environment),” says Mukesh Sharma from Garhwal Ramleela Mandal, Bijali Board, Sector28. “Saddened by the flood in various states, we have decided to educate youth to start early and reduce one’s carbon footprints,” says Sharma, who represents the 52-year old and one of the most popular Ramleelas in city.

Greta Thunberg might be the global environmental star, but in our city it’s Akanksha Sharma, Yashpal Kumar and Rajni Bajaj, who have taken on their shoulders to use the Ramleela stage to serve the green cause. Art competition, plantation and a poetry recitation themed around saving the environment are a part of this Ramleela.

Better living

A visit to old age homes, blood donation camps and anti- pollution cycle rallies are some of the issues that Shree Ramleela Committee (regd) Chandigarh Parade Ground, Sector-17, has taken up over the years, along with their very popular Ganga Ghat scene at the Sukhna Lake. It’s director Suresh Bakshi takes pride in the work they do. “Ramleela is way more than just a theatre presentation. As much as the artistes take on themselves to stay satvik during this time, they get immense affection and respect from the audience too.” If this same stage can be used to promote better living, it’s all the more welcome,” he believes.

While most of the Ramleela committees organise bhandaras where people from different walks of life come together to enjoy a community meal, Badrish Ramleela Kala Niketan Sector 30 also organises blood donations, “It’s heartening to see artists coming together  to promote various causes,” says  Sumit Rawat, scene director.

Bright future

Jyoti Swaroop Bhardwaj, who has played Ram for the last 24 years at Ordinance Cable Factory Cable Sanskritik Ramleela Manchan, says, “This time around on the last day, we would also distribute plants to artistes and audience,” he says. Well, looking at brighter future, this stage is doing well. 

Ramleela has made it to films too  

• A fleeting mention comes in Dream Girl where Ayushmann Khurrana plays Sita in the Ramleelas around the town, much to his father’s dismay who would rather have him play anything but a woman on stage.
• ‘Main sita hoon, Raavan sita ko nahi dhoondh raha, Sita Raavan ko dhoondh rahi hai,” goes Kangana Ranaut in the trailer of Judgementall Hai Kya. The later part of the film draws a parallel to Sita as Bobby (Kangana) takes up as an understudy in Ramayana 2.0 in London. Though this feminine interpretation did not go down well with much of the audience, what did touch the emotional chords with the audience was Madhuri Dixit, as Sita, refusing to give agni pariksha in film Lajja. 
• Nautanki Saala! has Ayushmann Khurrana again in Ramleela, but this time as dramebaaz Raavan in what’s called ‘Made in China’ Ramayana! 

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