Transformation of Manoj Tiwari from Delhi BJP chief to Parashurama in Ramlila

Hours before East Delhi MP and state BJP chief Manoj Tiwari got on stage, he sat with Bollywood actor Shahbaz Khan, who played Ravana, rehearsing his lines in a vanity van. (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)

This is the fourth time Tiwari has acted in the Ramlila — previously, he has twice played Angad and once played Kewat. (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)

Tiwari’s vanity van is rarely ever empty — from children of organisers itching for a selfie to people trying to break into politics to fellow Ramlila actors, someone’s always knocking on the door. (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)

Asked how he made time when Assembly polls are drawing close, he said: “This is far more important than any election in the country." (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)

The actor-turned-politician Manoj Tiwari, playing Parashurama, arrived dressed in a leopard skin vest, clutching an axe. (Express photo: Abhinav Saha)