Ramlila organisers faces casting crisis amid rising scrutiny by religious outfits

Organisers of Ramlila are finding it difficult to find artists for the enactment of several roles due to a sundry of reasons. While experienced artistes have almost stopped playing their favourite characters, talented youths are also shying away from participation.

Opposition and restrictions by activists of some radical Hindu outfits have also discouraged enthusiasts from engaging in stage activities.

Social media is abuzz with messages supporting as well as opposing the enactment of various characters, besides the age and gender of performers, playing the roles of deities, are under the scanner.

The administration has remained on its toes, handling tensions that

arise during Ramlila in the past years.

Arvind Bhardwaj, senior functionary of a cultural society in Malerkotla district, acknowledged that the situation had turned sour over the enactment of certain roles and choreographies, resembling ‘filmy’ songs during the past years.

Hardwar acknowledged that actors who had been playing important roles for decades had started shying away from the stage due to negative propaganda being spread by activists of certain radical outfits. “Though we have advised directors of various episodes to avoid playing any controversial song or dialogues, we have to put in extra efforts to prepare new artistes for roles vacated by experienced performers,” said Bhardwaj.

President of Tri Marti Ram Leela Club, Deepak Sharma, regretted that youths who were trained for specific important roles, had shifted to foreign countries or other cities, compounding issues during rehearsals.

Sharma claimed that Ramlila would be held strictly according to the contents of the epic and nobody would be allowed to come on stage after consuming drugs and narcotics.

Residents lamented that certain self-styled religious leaders of certain outfits were trying to disrupt the process of play of Ramlila, even though the UNESCO had declared it an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.