Star-studded Ram Lila opens in Ayodhya, Miss India is Sita

Speaking to The Indian Express, Vindu Dara Singh described the experience of performing live in Ram Lia, especially before top dignitaries, as unlike any other. “As per protocol, we actors are to stand still and not utter a single word when the President and the Prime Minister come on the stage. It gives goosebumps and chills run through your body when all of them stand before you with folded hands to put tilak on your forehead,” he said.

Singh, who has been part of the Ayodhya Ram Lila since the Covid pandemic and usually plays Hanuman, explained that embodying a deity on stage requires strict personal discipline. “We changed our lifestyle completely during this time. I personally do not consume liquor or non-vegetarian food while I play the role of a god. I pray to Hanuman and meditate every morning to prepare myself for the role,” he said.

Singh recalled being momentarily frozen last year at a Red Fort performance when the Prime Minister approached and asked, “Hanuman ji, tilak kahan lagayen?” He said the ritual of remaining still while dignitaries come forward to offer tilak and flowers adds an emotional, almost sacred, dimension to the performance.

Organisers said the Ayodhya production runs nightly from 7 pm to 10 pm until October 2. Subhash Mallik, one of the event organisers, said the Ram Lila began as a modest venture during the pandemic in 2020 and has since grown into a major spectacle.

“Last year our Ram Leela attracted around 45–47 crore viewers across platforms and Doordarshan; this year we are expecting an even larger audience,” he told The Indian Express.

The organisers also announced an ambitious plan for Dussehra: they aim to burn a record-breaking 240-foot-tall effigy of Ravana, alongside effigies of Meghnadh and Kumbhkaran at 190 feet each. More than 60 craftsmen from four states are reportedly working around the clock to build the giant effigies.

Mallik said coordinating celebrities required extra effort because many cannot relocate for a month of rehearsals. “We have teams in Mumbai and other cities who work with actors on scripts and run online practice sessions to ensure smooth coordination,” he explained.

The Ram Lila in Ayodhya blends traditional narrative with large-scale stagecraft and celebrity draws, and organisers hope the spectacle will both revive public interest in the epic and set new records for viewership and scale.