Art director as Ram, engineer as Dashrath: Meet the faces behind Lal Qila’s Ramlila

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An engineer at an MNC, Tarun, plays one of the more difficult but colourful roles of his life — that of King Dashrath in the Ramlila organised by Shri Dharmic Leela Committee at Lal Qila — among the oldest in Delhi. The Ramlila takes place at Madhav Das Park, Red Fort Grounds, Old Delhi.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Tarun, for the past 40 days, has been balancing his full-time job and nightly rehearsals. Though he has performed in short films, advertisements, stage plays, and solo acts over the past five years, this is his first-time being part of a Ramlila production.

“Growing up in the 90s, our choices were pretty much limited to two-three options, like becoming a doctor or an engineer. It was while I was pursuing my engineering degree that I realised I wanted to get into acting. Right now, I’m working to manage my finances but my heart has always been in acting,” he was quoted by The Indian Express as saying.

He says portraying King Dashrath demands weeks of preparation, but also gives him a chance to hone his craft as an actor while staying rooted in tradition.

Yugal Kishore Sharma, who portrays Ram, and Luvkesh Dhaliwal, as Lakshman, speak about the struggle to keep theatre relevant in an era ruled by cinema and OTT.

Dhaliwal, a theatre veteran of 20 years, told The Indian Express: “To see a live show, one has to take out time — something that’s becoming increasingly scarce in today’s fast-paced world.”

He adds that the audience demographic has shifted. “Younger people are showing up in large numbers now, which wasn’t the case before,” he was quoted as saying.

Explaining how performances are evolving, he said, “Jab fight scenes hai, movies ki tarah hum real effects use karne lag gaye hai… fire, swords… kyunki koi nayi cheez milegi tabhi chalegi picture. Itne saalo se wahi script hai, sabko pata hai, lekin kuch naya dalne ki zarurat hai (Just like in the movies, we add realistic elements like fire and swords during fight scenes. There is a need to add new elements since everyone knows the story).”

Balancing his job as an art director in advertising, Sharma highlights how different the stage feels compared to the world behind the camera.

“Stage pe koi galti karne ka scope nahi hota hai, behind the camera multiple takes hai. Camera mein difference ye hai ki wahan green screen hai, aapko khud imagine karna hota hai ki kya situation hai, but yahan pe woh sab cheezen already milti hai (There are multiple takes in front of a camera, but on stage, there’s no room for mistakes. In film, you work with green screens and imagine the scene; on stage, everything is right there in front of you),” he said.

According to him, performing on stage demands complete presence, leaving personal identity behind to become the role.

Echoing the same sentiment, Dhaliwal said: “Jab stage pe perform karte hai, toh aisa lagta hai hum wahi duniya mein hai, usi character mein hai. Mein Lakshman hun toh mein wahi hun, wahan par mein mein nahi hun. (When I perform on stage, I feel like I’m truly living in that world, in that character. When I play Lakshman, I am Lakshman — I’m no longer myself.”)