Children put up an adorable dance drama of Ramlila at the Diwali cultural programme at Panache in Sector V.
Save Ravan, all others were under the age of 10 and even Ravan, played by Ved Sharma, was only 12. “I know I got the villain’s role but I took it up with responsibility,” said the boy, whose younger sister Navya played Jatayu. She had been given a brown beak and a white dupatta was skillfully tied to look like her wings when she lifted her arms. “I won’t be chopping Jatayu’s wings as Navya may get hurt,” said Ved. “I am also settling for my own head instead of 10 as they wouldn’t fit the stage!”
Ram was played by seven-year-old Arsh Maheshwari, who said he knew The Ramayana but had forgotten the story. “But after performing this play I shall never forget it again,” he smiled as Sita, played by five-year-old Bani Dhingra, flashed the sweetest smile with three front teeth missing. “I love my costume, make-up and wig,” she said.
Wigs sat on many a little head that day — on Ram’s brothers, Luv, Kush as well as the sages. “I’m the naughtiest in this play,” confessed Ayush Vaidya, who looked anything but, dressed as the elderly Dasharath. “But I’ll be a good boy on stage.”
The play was without dialogue and the narration was through bhajans played in the background. The Ramayana story was shared with the audience by Luv (Adhya Diwan) and Kush (Yashwi Sundrania) and the climax was the ever-familiar scene of Hanuman (played by Kreyansh Verma) bowing before Ram, Sita and Laxman (played by Reyansh Somani, who was spotted before the show trying his level best to shoot with his toy bow and arrow).
Some youths from the audience then performed aarti of that frozen image and as the kids bowed out, the youths took stage and downed the curtains by dancing to Ghar more pardesia and Prem lila, songs that have references to Lord Ram. “Youths are not too interested in listening to stories but music and dance are the best way to keep them connected to our heritage,” said Rachit Jain, one of the dancers.
Praises were showered on Shrina Kanodia, Garima Agarwal and Shrija Jain for having directed the Ramlila. “It wasn’t easy as the kids kept getting distracted, talking or wandering away but we’re very happy we could pull it off,” said Kanodia.
Soma Jain, the head of Panache Utsav Committee, also conducted a game show that evening intertwining Bollywood music with the life of Ram.
Brinda Sarkar
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