As the Diwali-Dussehra season begins and Sharadiya Navratri unfolds, Delhi’s Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra (SBKK) has opened its doors for the annual staging of its renowned dance-drama RAM. The first performance began on Monday at SBKK’s Open Air Theatre and will run until October 14. The production condenses the epic Ramayana into a two-and-a-half-hour spectacle, tracing Lord Ram’s journey from his divine birth in Ayodhya to his coronation as king.
The production draws on India’s classical and folk traditions, including Kathakali, Kathak, Odissi, Bharatanatyam, Kalaripayattu, Mayurbhanj Chhau, and regional folk forms, combined into SBKK’s distinctive style. Dance and music, rooted in Hindustani classical ragas and folk traditions, are carefully employed to enhance narrative clarity and emotional impact.
Conceptualised as a grand dance-drama, the production’s origins date back to 1957, when SBKK founder Sumitra Charat Ram, commissioned by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, collaborated with poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, and choreographers like Bhagwandas Verma, Guru Gopinath, and Narendra Sharma to create a work that wove tradition with innovation.
First performed at the Feroz Shah Kotla Grounds, RAM quickly became a cultural landmark, eventually travelling to 35 countries and receiving recognition in Yogyakarta for bridging Indian and Southeast Asian Ramayana traditions. It was also specially invited to perform at the Ayodhya Ram Mandir inauguration, cementing its status as a national treasure.
Over six decades, RAM has evolved into a ritualistic celebration in the city, witnessed by four generations. Each year, the lawns of SBKK transform into a pilgrimage site, drawing lakhs of audiences during Navratri. Under the guidance of chairperson and show director Padma Shri Shobha Deepak Singh, principal choreographer Shashidharan Nair, and associate choreographer Rajkumar Sharma, the production continues to evolve while staying true to its essence.
“For 67 years, RAM has been a shared cultural experience that binds generations together,” says Shobha Deepak Singh. “In a world that is constantly changing, evolving, ‘RAM’ offers continuity, almost a reminder of values and ideals that remain ever-relevant.”
RAM presents itself as a communal act of remembrance, reflecting enduring human dilemmas such as duty versus desire, love through hardship, and the struggle between good and evil. With annually redesigned sets, costumes, and lighting, it continues to balance innovation with fidelity to its story. For scholars, it offers layers of interpretation; for devotees, moments of devotion; and for younger audiences, a heroic tale of trials and triumphs. Sustained across four generations, it remains both a performance and a pilgrimage, a living tradition celebrating truth, courage, sacrifice, and compassion.
Catch RAM at Shriram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, Mandi House, daily at 6:30 pm, till Oct 14