Sita sings the blues

Ravana, was laughing over tea and glucose biscuits with Rama, while the wanar-sena were exchanging songs over Bluetooth with the rakshasas. Kaykeyi, was arranging Sita's lehenga as she cribbed about jewellery and Laxmana slept under the ceiling fan with a bear's head, as his pillow. This sight could only be beheld in the green room, at the Ramlila Maidan.

Costumes and other odds and ends

48-year-old Pradeep Kumar Sharma, a money-lender by trade, has been playing the part of Ravana for the last 4 years. An actor by choice, he chose to play the role of Ravana in the Ramlila. “Everyone knows that Ravana was a learned man and a bhakt of Shiva. It is an honour to portray him,” says the father of two who was getting an enormous moustache glued to his face.

"Rama" waiting for his wig and crown, he was participating in a swayamwar, after all!

A scrawny 24-year-old accountant, however transforms, visibly when dusted with a sheer blue coat on his almost 6 feet frame. Complete with a crown on his head and a traditional bow-and-arrow, his face assumes a tranquil expression that the chewing-gum eating, headphone wearing Prateek Malhotra could never have. “Rama was the perfect man, or Purushottam . I feel like a part of him when I put on this crown,” says Malhotra bowing down with folded hands as the costume in-charge fixes a crown on his wig adorned head.

Meanwhile, Sangam Mishra, a 21 year old, aspiring model, who plays Sita, is fretting over her costume. “This lehenga weighs like 10 kilos! I'm going to develop a back-ache,” she complains, as she she fixes one of her co-actor's hair.

All the characters, however seem overjoyed by the set decoration this year. “Last year's set was nothing in comparison,” says Sharma. “After all, this ramlila has a 40 year old legacy to it,” he concludes.

The fancy new stage this year

A policeman keeps a watch as the mela gears up for the action, at Ramlila Maidaan.

The curious setting; a skyscrapers and traditional mela shops against it.