Ramlila shrugs off Covid shackles, roars back with renewed grandeur

After two years of relatively muted celebrations, Ramlila shows in the national capital have shed their shackles and are brimming with energy, as artistes welcome a return to packed theatres and unfettered performances.

- Sadia Akhtar

Foremost of the shows is Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra's (SBKK) iconic dance-drama "Shri Ram", which returns for its 66th edition this year.

Even though the institution managed to stage the ballet even in 2020 and 2021, when most Ramlilas were cancelled due to the pandemic, this year, Shri Ram is set to be even grander, with fresh faces involved in the production. Like every year, a fusion of various dance forms unravels through the course of the show, leaving people spellbound.

Shobha Deepak Singh, the director of SBKK and the brain behind "Shri Ram", said the stage gives artistes a platform to showcase their talent.

"Of the dancers in the Ramlila, 90% are performing for the first time. We put out an advertisement in January this year seeking artistes for various roles. We selected 20 dancers. We teach them various dance forms based on the show's requirements," said Singh.

With the removal of restrictions and a return to normalcy, the show will be staged in various parts of the country. "Shri Ram" is seeing its highest number of participants, since two separate casts are in place to meet the demands of shows taking place outside Delhi, including Gurugram and Jaipur.

"We have around 7-8 shows taking place in other cities," said Singh, who has helmed the direction of the dance-drama for decades. She has incorporated several new elements into the performances this year.

"The music has been re-recorded completely. It was being recorded with appropriate changes till two days before the show. Whatever we found lacking in the previous music composition was added during re-recording," said Singh.

The cast has also been draped in fresh costumes this year.