Engineer to art director: Meet the faces behind Ram, Lakshman, Dashrath in Ramlila

Tarun is a part of the Shri Dharmic Leela Committee’s Ramlila at Lal Qila — among the oldest in the city. For the past 40 days, he has been balancing his full-time job and nightly rehearsals, navigating between two very different professions.

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 shares.

The role of King Dashrath, he says, requires weeks of preparation but offers him the opportunity to grow as an actor while connecting with tradition.

Yugal Kishore Sharma, who plays Ram, and Luvkesh Dhaliwal, essaying the role of Lakshman, reflect on the challenges of keeping theatre alive in an age dominated by cinema and OTT platforms.

Dhaliwal, a theatre veteran of 20 years, says, “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 says.

He also explains how performances are evolving. “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).”

Sharma, who works as an art director at an advertising agency, talks about the contrast between working on stage and 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).”

Theatre, he says, demands complete presence — one has to fully immerse themselves in the role and leave individual identities behind.

Dhaliwal echoes this sentiment. “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.”) The Ramlila takes place at Madhav Das Park, Red Fort Grounds, Old Delhi.

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