Over 620 million viewers last year; Ayodhya Ki Ramlila returns with Ravi Kishan as Lord Ram
Ayodhya, July 28
Ayodhya Ki Ramlila Founder-President Subhash Malik and General Secretary Shubham Malik announced that BJP's Lok Sabha MP Ravi Kishan will portray the role of Lord Ram in this year's Ayodhya Ki Ramlila. The event will be held in two phases this year.
The first leg will take place from October 10 to October 20 at Mavalankar Hall, Constitutional Club, Rafi Marg in the national capital while the second phase will be staged in Ayodhya from January 15 to January 25.
The organisers said the schedule has been revised after repeated damage to the stage and sets in Ayodhya due to heavy rains and storms in previous years.
Holding the Ayodhya leg in January is expected to ensure a smoother and grander presentation.
The confirmed cast includes Ravi Kishan as Lord Ram, Vindu Dara Singh as Lord Shiva, and Rakesh Bedi in key roles. Additionally, Arun Bakshi plays Ravana, Avtar Gill portrays Narad Muni, and Raza Murad features as both King Janak and Ahiravan.
The organisers said the primary objective is to enable devotees across the globe to watch the Ramlila from their homes with their families through live telecast. They claimed that more than 620 million devotees watched Ayodhya Ki Ramlila last year, making it the most-watched edition so far.
Ravi Kishan has previously portrayed the roles of Kevat, Parashuram and Bharat in earlier editions of Ayodhya Ki Ramlila. This year, he will play the central role of Lord Ram for the first time.
According to the organisers, the focus remains on taking the message and values of Lord Ram to devotees worldwide through digital and television broadcasts, allowing millions of Ram devotees to witness the performances from the comfort of their homes.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, the Delhi High Court granted an ex parte ad interim injunction in favour of actor Ravi Kishan, restraining the unauthorised use of his name, image, voice and other personality attributes for commercial or personal gain.
The order was passed by Justice Jyoti Singh on July 2 in a commercial suit filed by Ravi Kishan against those misusing his identity across digital platforms.
— ANI
Reader Comments
While I appreciate the effort to bring Ramlila to global audiences digitally, isn't it a bit concerning that a sitting MP is playing Lord Ram? Shouldn't there be some separation between political roles and religious performances? Also, Rs. spent on this could be better used for actual development in Ayodhya.
Superb casting! Vindu Dara Singh as Lord Shiva and Rakesh Bedi in key roles - that's a solid combo. Moving Ayodhya leg to January makes practical sense too - no more rains ruining the sets. Can't wait to watch this from home with my family. This is exactly how we keep our traditions alive in modern times. 🇮🇳
As someone who grew up in the US but loves Indian culture, this is amazing! My parents watch Ramlila every year on TV. 620 million viewers shows how relevant this is for NRIs like us who can't make it to India but still want our kids to learn about Ramayana. Ravi Kishan is a good choice!
I'm happy but also cautious. Ravi Kishan has a court order protecting his personality rights - that's fine. But Ramlila is a sacred tradition, not a commercial venture. Hope the organisers keep the spiritual essence intact rather than turning it into a Bollywood spectacle. Let's see how it goes.
Just wow! 🎉 Ravi Kishan has come a long way from his Bhojpuri films to playing Maryada Purushottam Ram. The fact that they have
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