The scene is as if Ramanand Sagar had decided to pull an Anurag Kashyap but this is just another workday for the 15-odd rickshaw drivers from Mulund who form a Ramlila committee called Adarsh Chattra Sangh (Ideal Students Union). It was formed in 1992, when they were all idealistic students in Allahabad's Handiya village which gave them nothing much to do but study. "As a kid, my mother would not even allow me to go to weddings or social functions," says part-time rickshaw driver and LIC agent Subhash Yadav. "That's when I decided to gather a bunch of friends with a plan to stage the Ramlila," says Subhash, who not only directs these performances but also plays Raavan.
The group had no precedents, not even a classical concert by way of stage shows. "We did our own make-up, arranged costumes and even doubled up as women characters in the village that found the stage corrupting," says Subhash, who rewrote the Awadhi verses of Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas in chaste Hindi that the group quickly committed to memory.
While Ramlila performances can take many forms, Adarsh Chattra Sangh's style incorporated song, narration, recital and dialogue. The hardest part, says Sharadaprasad Yadav -a smiling, moustachioed man who reminds you of a Tamil comedian - was getting on stage. He plays Manthara, Kaikeyi's evil maid. "Though I knew all the lines, the first time I got on stage, words refused to come out," says Sharadaprasad, partly because his elder brother was on the same stage as Kumbhakaran. "Back home nobody speaks in front of elders," says Sharadaprasad, who is known in the group as Kumar Sanu for his gifted voice.
Over the course of 20 years, the verses have become so involuntary, they are a reflex. "We can play anyone at a moment's notice," says Krishna Yadav, who calls this kind of an emergency, "Tatkaal". While financial reasons brought them to Mumbai, the group would take ten days off every year to put up Ramlila shows back home, where sometimes, neighbourhood squabbles are also resolved onstage. "I cast the warring parties in the roles of siblings," says Subhash.
Then, there are other quirks. As a rule, the role of Ram is always played by a bachelor. "We want the man who plays Him to be pure," says Krishna. Goof-ups, that are a trademark of Ramlila performances, are covered up using improvisational skills. "Instead of verses, we convey the meaning in dialogue," says Sangam.
They may not fit Valmiki's vision in appearance but their transformation onstage can be dramatic. For instance, Subhash who loves to play Raavan looks puny but derives personality from a foot-long crown, a thick body suit and an emphatic voice. "In fact, during the scene where Raavan kidnaps Sita, his voice scared me so much that I forgot my lines," says Sangam Yadav, who usually plays King Janaka but has portrayed Sita on "Tatkaal".
Last year, the group landed a chance to perform in a cultural hall in Mulund. It was the first time they had women actors and also the first time they showed the beheading of Raavan onstage - something that happens at an open ground on the last day.
"The response was so overwhelming, there were people sitting on the stairs," recalls Sangam, adding that the group is now preparing to catch a train to Allahabad next week. They are still figuring out the possibility of Mumbai shows. "We earn up to Rs 500 a day so we are looking to be adequately compensated," says Subhash.
The epic has a lot to offer to the next generation, members believe. "It is seen as a corrupting influence back home but I believe it has important lessons on character-building," says Baladeen. Thus marinated in the lessons of the Ramayana, it is only natural that the outside world of Mumbai where they are rickshaw drivers, is a bit of a shock for them. "This city is the only place where I have seen women slapping men," says Krishna.
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