Actors of Sri Satya Sagar Bandhu Ramleela Natya Sangh performs at Ramleela grounds in Sakchi on Monday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Eighty seven-year-old Asgar Ali is not new to the steel city. Over the years he has been at the receiving end of appreciation for his roles in Ramleelas.

Although popularly known as a qawwal in Budge Budge in Calcutta, Ali arrives in Jamshedpur every year to take part in these religious plays organised by the Sri Satya Sagar Bandhu Ramleela Natya Sangh of Calcutta at the Ramlila Maidan in Sakchi since 1968.

“I have a house and family in Calcutta but I prefer to travel throughout India for Ramleelas. I am a qawwal but Ramleela entertains me more because there is dance, song, drama — everything in one package,” said Ali.

Ali has performed with many noted qawwals of the country, including Salim Chishti and Qazi Perwez, and has travelled throughout the country to perform as well as play the naal, dholak, harmonium and other instruments in Ramleelas.

But does his religion ever pose a hindrance?

“Never. For an artiste, there is no religion. His work is his religion. There are those who use their religion as a tool for politics. I can challenge that I know Ramayan better than others. But poor people like us never think about unnecessary things,” said he.

Ali is part of a 21-member group that is entirely dependent on Ramleelas for a living. The Sri Satya Sagar Bandhu Ramleela Natya Sangh has survived because the maximum number of characters are played by members of a single family. This is one of the traditional mandalis where men enact female characters. “There are many problems with women. Some will not travel as frequently as we do. But believe me, once you see the acts, nobody can recognise whether Sita is a male or a female,” said Prem Kumar Srivastav, the proprietor of the mandali.

“I love to play Sita because she is the central character. I am also proficient in playing Kaushalya, Kaikeyi or Sumitra as the director demands. This is my full-time profession and I remember their dialogues very well,” said Raju Prasad, who will be playing the role of Kaushalya this year.

The group performed the Sita Haran to Lanka Dahan on Monday and will perform Rameshwaram Sthapna to Meghnad Vadh on Tuesday.