Ram returns: Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra’s Ramlila reimagined for a new generation

Created in 1957 by cultural patron Sumitra Charat Ram, in collaboration with national poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, “Ram” distilled the vast Ramayana into a two-and-a-half-hour production that was both intimate and monumental

This Navratri, Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK)’s iconic dance-drama “Ram”, based on Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, returns to the stage with fresh elements designed to captivate newer generations. The 68th edition of the legendary Ramlila will run from Monday, September 22, to October 14.

Organisers said a scene of Ram’s birth has been incorporated after a gap of more than 15 years. The background animation has also been reworked this year. (HT Photo)

“A scene of Ram’s birth has been incorporated after a gap of more than 15 years. The background animation has also been reworked,” said a representative of SBKK.

Created in 1957 by cultural patron Sumitra Charat Ram, in collaboration with national poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, “Ram” distilled the vast Ramayana into a two-and-a-half-hour production that was both intimate and monumental.

“It was shaped by legendary choreographers Guru Gopinath, Bhagwan Das Verma, and Narendra Sharma, with music by the Dagar Brothers and Barun Gupta, and lighting by Tapas Sen. Opening at the Feroz Shah Kotla Grounds, it soon became a fixture of Delhi’s cultural calendar,” SBKK said in a statement. “Parents who once attended as children now bring their own families, reaffirming timeless values of dharma, duty, devotion, sacrifice, and compassion. Its dilemmas—duty versus desire, love in adversity, and the battle between good and evil—remain as relevant today as in the epic itself.”

About three decades ago, SBKK chairperson Padma Shri Shobha Deepak Singh reimagined the production to engage younger audiences. “For sixty-seven years, “Ram” has been a shared cultural experience that binds generations together,” Singh said. “Each season, we strive to preserve its spiritual and artistic core while bringing fresh nuances to the stage. In a world that is constantly changing, evolving, “Ram” offers continuity; a reminder of values and ideals that remain ever relevant.”

At the heart of “Ram” lies its choreography, a seamless fusion of India’s diverse dance traditions; from the martial vigour of Mayurbhanj Chhau and Kalaripayattu to the expressive strength of Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Kathak, alongside north Indian folk idioms.

“Each movement is chosen not for ornamentation but for narrative force, carrying the audience from the tenderness of Ram and Sita’s love to the grandeur of Ram’s triumph over Ravana. Music rooted in Hindustani classical ragas, folk traditions, and devotional melodies deepens the emotional resonance of every scene,” said an SBKK member.

This year, the production will be inaugurated in the presence of Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta and minister of culture Gajendra Singh Sekhawat. “We have experimented with lighting and some of the dance sequences, and made subtle changes to the music,” said the member.

“Under Shobha Deepak Singh’s direction, alongside principal choreographer Shashidharan Nair and associate choreographer Rajkumar Sharma, “Ram” continues to balance reverence for tradition with innovation for modern audiences. In 2025, the production revives sequences from earlier years, blending the old with the new to create a fresh yet familiar experience.”