A production that stars several MPs from the BJP will be staged and telecast from Lakshman Quila, located less than 2 km from the site where the Ram temple is being built.
Ayodhya ki Ramlila will see Manoj Tiwari, the BJP’s MP from North East Delhi, portray several roles while Bhojpuri actor and Gorakhpur MP Ravi Kishan will essay the role of Parashuram. Bollywood star Asrani, known for his legendary role in Sholay, will play Narad, while Shakti Kapoor will essay the role of Ahiravan.
Vindu Dara Singh will return to portray Hanuman, his familiar character from the stage and TV, Raza Murad will star as Kumbhakarn. While it is not yet clear who will be playing the role of Ram, Shweta Gupta will essay the character of Sita except for one scene — the Swayamvar — when the character will be portrayed by Bhagyasree.
Several satellite channels and social media platforms will stream Ayodhya ki Ramlila between October 6 and 15.
Ayodhya ki Ramlila was first held in 2020 following strict Covid-19 guidelines as the pandemic had brought all public performances to a halt.
Meri Maa Foundation founder and the creative director of Ayodhya ki Ramlila Subhash Malik said no audience would be present this time as well. Over 16 crore people tuned in to watch the live streaming of the production from the safety of home.
Both Tiwari and Kishan have experience in playing epic characters before — Tiwari essayed the role of Angad in last year’s production while Kishan portrayed the character of Bharat. Both the BJP MPs are familiar faces on the Ramlila scene in Delhi. Tiwari had enacted the role of Parashuram in a 2019 production, and Angad in 2018. Kishan has played the characters of Parashuram, Karna, Bhishma, Dronacharya, as well as Angad on the stage of Ramlila.
