Dussehra 2026 | Gen Z audience tells me 'Keep doing it, bro’, says actor Shahbaaz Khann on playing Ravana in Delhi's Ramlila

Actor Shahbaz Khann shares why his portrayal of Ravana in Delhi's Ramlila is winning hearts across generations.

Actor Shahbaz Khann, known for his roles in films such as Ziddi (1997) and The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2004), has been part of Delhi’s Ramlilas for a long time. But when it comes to portraying the Ravana, then he feels it is more than just about bringing the demon king to life. Probably that us the reason why his role as part of the Shri Dharmic Ram Leela Committee’s Ramlila at the Red Fort Grounds in Old Delhi, has caught Gen Z’s attention this year; especially with his entry on a white horseback becoming Reel-worthy! He shares, “The script is the same, and Gen Z is accepting Ramayana’s story the way it is. But instead of saying ‘Ravana, it’s done bro’, the young audiences after watching the performance are telling me: Keep doing it bro!"

Actor Shahbaaz Khann brings Ravana to life on stage at Shri Dharmic Ram Leela Committee’s Ramlila in Old Delhi, which narrates the epic’s age-old victory of good over evil.

Having performed in Ramlilas for nearly 12 years, including at least six years in Delhi, Khann believes it's his interpretation of this iconic character that makes the narrative relatable. “I don’t shout too much, just speak my dialogues loud enough, with arrogance, so people can relate. This is my style of acting. I like to portray characters according to my interpretation. I don’t go by the book,” he says, moving away from Ravana’s stereotypical loud laughter, oversized moustache, and exaggerated makeup that is often copied across TV serials and even at live Ramlila acts across India.

Khann, who has also been part of a couple of mythological shows onscreen, reveals that the dramatic horseback entry was his idea. “I wanted everything to go viral as Ravana,” he shares.

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