Crowds cheer for Urdu-speaking Ravana during four-day cultural festival

Actors on stage take their positions. This scene is from the Hindu epic Ramayana, Angad Ravan Samvad, where Angad, the prince of Kishkindha, tells Ravana to surrender before Lord Ram, infuriating the demon lord. Imagine the mighty Ravana’s response with a touch of Urdu.Main war ravan hoon, jisse kaanti hai sari kudai [I am that Ravana, who is feared by the entire divinity]” and the thunderous applause from the audience.

‘Dastan-e-Ramayan: Urdu Ramleela’ is a unique performance of the Hindu epic to be held at Sundar Nursery School as part of the four-day ‘Jashun-e-Urdu’ festival that started on February 22. is. The performers are Faridabad’s Shraddha Ramlila group, which has gained popularity for interspersing Urdu phrases in its dialogues.

The event was organized by the Department of Arts, Culture and Languages, Government of Delhi in collaboration with Urdu Academy, Delhi.

“The Delhi government has been consistently organizing such programs in different parts of the national capital with the sole aim of spreading the message of Ganga-Jamni cultural complex,” said Art, Culture and Languages ​​Minister Saurabh. Bharadwaj said.

The government has invited prominent figures from the world of ghazal and Sufi music to the festival, including the Nizami brothers, Kannak Joshi, Talat Aziz and ‘Voice of India’ winner Salman Ali.

A little after the performance, Ravana says:Aaj agar taaqat hai and teri bjong mein, jamal hai and teri nigahon mein. [Today, if there is strength, it is in your arms, beauty in your eyes]”, and the venue erupted in applause.

In the next few scenes, the actor says,Kumar (drunkenness)”,”Gurul (pride)”,”fanaa (destruction)”, “Zamana (World)”, “Daulat (wealth)”, “Faisla (result)”, and “Maidan Ejon (Battlefield)” Conversation.

After the performance, a panel discussion ‘Ramayana in the Urdu Mirror’ will be held where scholars such as Khalid Alvi, Khalid Ashraf and Mohammad Kazim will reflect on the epic from an Urdu lens.

composite culture

“In pre-Partition India, Ramlila performances were the only form of entertainment for both audience and performers. People volunteered and learned plays in their own groups,” says the theater and drama group’s director. says one Anil Chawla. Chawla has played Lakshman for 26 years.

The troupe started performing in 1976 in Palwal, Haryana. As more members joined the group, it shifted its base from Palwal to Faridabad. Today, the group is made up of businessmen, students, and others who volunteer to play many roles in Hindu epics.

Chawla says: For us, both Hindi and Urdu are equally important. We perform for both Hindus and Muslims. Although the characters are played by Hindus, the make-up for all the characters is done by Muslims. ”