One of the most flamboyant and vibrant cultural extravaganzas of Lotus Boulevard, to observe the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami or Dussehra, is our Ram Leela. Truth alone triumphs: the moral of the epic tale finds its resonance beyond the constraints of time and space.
On Saturday, 12 October, the enactment of Ram Leela, in our Central Park, was an extraordinary exhibition of grit, determination and perseverance, told through the tale of Lord Ram and the hardships He had to endure to uphold ‘Maryada’.
The spectacular show was, in essence, a community-building exercise of the residents, by the residents and for the residents. Every scene was electric due to the euphoric enthusiasm of all involved. The sincere actors were the faces of it but equally important were the backstage support personnel.
Sangeeta, Ashima and Rajshree to name a few. Everyone, from the housekeeping staff to the makeup artist Tina and choreographers Astha and Ajitha, was all awe-inspiring in their dedication towards the show and Lord Ram.
The eagerness with which the AOA management supported every step of the way was not only commendable but also a show of confidence in the skill and vision of our inhouse talents.
The preparations for the grand show began a month in advance. Auditions were conducted for suitable cast. Support crew was diligently selected. Veterans like Anil Seth, Tej Prakash, Archana Chandra, Roopa and Neeraj Sharma, brought together by our cultural secretary Seema Narang, formed the experienced core committee which provided invaluable guidance and were the ‘Sankat mochan’ whenever any ‘sankat’ arose.
They also played the pivotal roles of Janak, Parshuram, Shabri, Kaikeyi and Dashrath respectively. We were blessed to have Gaurav Rohilla, Raj Sharma and Yachna Joshi as our main cast of Ram, Lakshman and Sita. Their dedication and sincerity made the whole show possible and exemplary.
Abhay Raj Mishra as Ravan was the revelation of this Ram Leela. Our AOA Treasurer and Security head Rajesh Rastogi was effervescent as the energetic Hanumaan.
The ‘Sootradhaar’ scene, appreciated as the crux of the show, was enacted by Abhishek Jha and Richa as Shiv and Parvati.
Anita Chitkara and Badli essayed the roles of Kaushalya and Sumitra. Anita helped with the costumes as well; both took care of the kids in Ram’s Vanar sena and Ravan Sena.
Alok Gupta as Kumbhkaran & Sandeep Agarwal as Vsihwamitra were instrumental in providing the requisite depth to the show with their acting and off-stage advice as well. Lakhan Panchani as Vibhishan played the crucial role to perfection.
But the most important leads, the turning points, showstoppers of the show were the power troika of the three ladies this Ram Leela will ever be indebted to were Shaily Sadan as Mandodari, Shraddha Shah as Manthara, and the best performer amongst us all, Himanshi as Soorpnakha.
Kudos to their talent and efforts put in! A late addition to this troika was Tadka aka Jyoti, despite joining the team quite late, she mesmerized us all with her flawless performance.
One thing this Ram Leela will always be proud of will be the new generation talent-Shreyas Singh as Bharat, Vedant as Angad and, the cutest of the lot, Sanvi Shah as the Swarn Mrig… They executed their part par excellence.
What can I say about our down to earth, ever eager to help, master of all trades in Ram Leela, the provider of all props, coordinating everything onstage, Gyan Chand with his typical smile is the omnipresent person.
As a Swayamwar raja, alongside Amit as one of the rajas attempting to lift the Shiv Dhanush, he played the role of Sushen Vaid as well.
For me, personally, it was a journey of self-discovery. Many people did see it as my hard work, but I believe in the tenet, “If you do what you love, it’s bliss.” My extension to this tenet is “If you do what you ardently worship and have utmost faith in, it’s eternal bliss in every second.”
Every rehearsal was like a story of a lifetime being lived in a few hours. The electrifying atmosphere is something I am going to miss for a long time. My heartfelt thanks to all involved!
