They stood behind kings, endured exile, bore blame, and barely spoke their minds. But, now on stage, they do. In Women of Ramayana, Sita, Kaikeyi, Urmila, and others sit together for a conversation overdue for centuries. The bilingual theatre production has been directed by Anamika Gautam and written by Dr. Neha Gupta.
“The play features a fictional panchayat of women from the epic, where the female characters gather to share their pain, guilt, anger, and even wisdom,” says Gupta, also a mental health consultant and a playwright. “This isn’t just another version of the Ramayana. It’s about what these women might say if given a chance to speak freely. They question their roles and struggles, and in doing so, they heal themselves.”
The “all-women” drama revolves around 11 female characters from the epic. These include well-known names like Sita, Kaikeyi, and Mandodari, as well as lesser-known figures like Sunaina (Sita’s mother), Sulochana (wife of Meghanada, the eldest son of Ravana), Urmila (Lakshmana’s wife), Ahalya (sage Gautam Maharishi’s wife), and others. And the range of emotions they allow themselves to reveal on stage are varied as well—from Kaikeyi’s anger and Urmila’s loneliness, to Ahalya’s curse, the drama depicts the many emotions these women were forced to endure.
A way of seeing
“In Ramayana, women are often portrayed as passive and dutiful,” Gupta tells TMS. “But in truth, they were strong, and thoughtful. Our aim was to show that side and make the audience reflect over those discrete portrayals.”According to the playwright, the narrative–with a mix of Hindi and English dialogues–incorporates dramatic monologues, and a “mosaic of poetry” that throws light on the emotional journey of each character.
In one of the scenes that Gupta admires much, Sita has been shown apologising to Urmila for leaving her behind during exile.
She remarks, “One of my favourite scenes is when Sita, Urmila, Sunaina and Gargi are discussing their life choices. Sita is feeling guilty about leaving Urmila behind (during exile) alone. And she is amazed at how Urmila has come out of her loneliness and grown into a content woman.”
Gupta started writing the play back in 2019 when she came across Gautham’s theatre group, Junoon - Khud Se Khud Tak.
Voicing the voiceless
The director, who hopped into the theatre world after leaving her teaching job, says the idea came naturally to her after working on a previous production (Women of Mahabharata) of a similar theme. “There’s something deeply moving about women telling their own stories,” she says. “Each woman on stage has something to say, and the audience connects with that. When we staged Women of Mahabharata, I also suddenly felt very connected with each character. So, we came up with another theatre play of this theme.”
The storyline is based on both Valmiki’s Ramayana and Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, but with a bit of modern touch. According to Gautam, the play features 11 to 12 members. Since 2019, Gautam’s theatre group, Junoon-Khud se Khud Tak, has performed it at several places, including Marwah Studios, Noida, and Dr Ambedkar International Centre, Delhi.
The drama will be performed on July 25 at the Little Theatre Group Auditorium, Copernicus Marg, opposite Doordarshan Bhawan, Mandi House