Hi-tech Ramlila woos Gzb audience with voice-overs and trained pigeon
GHAZIABAD: The renowned digital Ramlila is pulling huge crowds at Kavi Nagar Ramlila Grounds this year, with the Sanskriti Theatre Group making use of around 2,000 digital effects to aid the storytelling, along with stage performances by professional artistes. The group has devised a new concept where a character portraying Krishna narrates portions of the Shrimad Bhagwat during important events in the play.
The group comprises around 85 artistes, who are professionals in different fields and are in Kavi Nagar specially to perform the Ramlila in Kavi Nagar. Members of the group are a motley crew of engineers, accounts professionals, government servants, while some are theatre artistes.
“Our practice starts three months before the stage performance. One can gauge the quality and time we put in before and during our shows. This year, we have Shrimad Bhagwat being preached along with the Ramayana performance. For instance, in an episode where Rama meets Kevat, Krishna’s character comes on stage and speaks about the meaning of friendship,” Raj Gupta, the director of the group, said. “In another instance when Rama, Laxman and Bharat are to be taken to Gurukul for their education in early childhood, their father, king Dashratha is emotional and not willing to send them away. Then, Krishna comes and tells the audience of the importance of the proper upbringing of children and also says that one has to send away their beloved if it is in the interest of a better future for them. So, such preachings mixed with Ramayana storytelling keeps the audience interested and they also learn teachings from two epics — Ramayana and Shrimad Bhagwat,” said Gupta, who is performing the character of Krishna himself. Gupta said he has also taken the help of his pet pigeon, ‘Gauri,’ while playing the Krishna character.
“She comes and sits on my shoulder or hands while I perform. Sometimes, the target of Krishna’s preaching is the audience while at other times I interact with Gauri. She has been trained and does not fly away after hearing the sounds or seeing digital effects on the stage. Several families have come to us and praised Gauri’s part in the play,” he added.
The group has also added new details to the epic, with fresh stories and sub-plots.
“There are stories that have been added this time about the birth of demon king Ravana and his brother Kumabhkaran. The other stories are about marriage of Ravana’s sister, Surpanakha and also about birth of Hanuman. The stories convey important details and are liked by audience,” said Nisha Gupta, another artiste from the group who is employed with AIIMS, Delhi.
The efforts the artistes are putting in are portrayed by the fact that many of them travel to Delhi early in the morning for work after rehearsals late at night, and return to Ghaziabad by evening.
“Since many could not get regular leaves, they continue to perform at night and attend their offices in the morning. There are several who appeared for examinations on Thursday and returned by evening to attend the stage performance,” said Deepak Saini, an artiste who plays the important role of Hanuman and is a student of fine arts in Delhi.
The high-definition digital display and sound effects in the background are the hallmark of the Ramlila performance at Kavi Nagar. Special effects are being used to portray Ravan Darbar, Mithila, Ayodhya city, killings of Kumbhkaran and Jatayun among others.