THE LEGEND
Huddled together on top of a chaddar placed on the sands of Chowpatty , are hundreds of people seated to
watch the enactment of one of the greatest epics of Indian mythology.It is arguably the most prominent Ramlila hosted in the city.
Many wait for Dassera to get out with their families, breaking the routine of daily work, say 36-year-old Mithali, We all eagerly await Dassera to go out together.Her 14-year-old son, Gaurav, on the other hand, anxiously awaits Ravana’s fire cracker ridden colossal putla to set ablaze at the end of Ramlia to depict the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana .A lesson in morals with a dash of entertainment.
Ramlilas,far from being a Hindu affair, are attended by members of other communities too. We have a generous splatter of burkha-adorning women who attend the Ramlila enactment with their children in tow,
says Rajendra Agarwal, secretary of the organizing
samiti .So, what is it that makes Dassera integral to the cosmopolitan communities in Mumbai? Audience members often say that the love shared between Bharat and Ram, and about Laxman going to vanvaas with Lord Rama are inspiring Ramlila is associated with familial values, he says.
Theatre performer Sagarika Chaturvedi says Ramlila is a play that never has and never will go out of vogue .The fluidity in their movements and dialogue never fails to enthrall me. My favourite part is watching their muddles and their subsequent remedies live .The way they cover up for their mistakes is commendable .It’s a lesson on impromptu trouble-shooting for theatre aspirants .It is theatrics at its best, quips Sagarika
Shree Adarsh Ramlila Samiti’s secretary , Rajendra Agarwal says the samiti has been organizing Ramlilas since 1964 and currently performed at four locations—Chowpatty, Shivaji Park, Cotton Green and at Ramlila Ground in Borivali.
There are about 39 mandals in Mumbai and a Ramlila Mahasangh had been established to oversee the functioning of all Ramlilas. The 10pm deadline proved to be the final blow for the Mahasangh that is defunct for the last few years, The Mahasangh was considered a Jaadu ki Chadi but it was impossible for the Mahasangh to operate in such circumstances, Agarwal maintains.
About 40 male artists, mostly from Mathura, are arranged to perform at a price of Rs 3 lakh for two programs and unlike other samitis ,provide the artists with costumes as well .A single set of costumes cost approximately Rs 5 lakh while the pandal costs Rs 4 lakh. This cost is mostly waived off by the organizer, also a samiti member .Thus, we incur a cost of over Rs 25 lakh for four Ramlila shows.This cost is recover by way of donations and advertisements that we receive during this season, he says.