Epic shift: A once gentle, contrite Ram is now a weaponised Superman and Sita is reduced to a meek figure
Ram Katha over the centuries has produced nearly 300 versions — unique interpretations with a basic structure that celebrates victory of good over evil. Now, a once gentle, contrite Ram is a weaponised Superman. Sita is reduced to a meek figure. How many of us want to resurrect our Ramlila memories? How much do our young wish to remember these?
Updated At : 09:39 AM Sep 28, 2025 IST
Pan-Indian narratives of various versions of the ‘Ramayana’ and orally transmitted lore about Ram and Sita have shaped Ramlilas. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal
AS children in a traditional Pahadi household, we were introduced to Ram Katha early via the local Ramlila mounted annually in little hill towns: Almora, Bhowali, Mukteswar, Nainital. Historically, Ramlila was a re-enactment of the grand and tragic life of Lord Ram, dreamt of first by Tulsidas, whose Awadhi version, the ‘Ram Charit Manas’, was a venerated epic.
