Their roots pull them back every year to city’s Ramlila

Prayagraj: Satyam Upadhaya, a Mumbai-based artist originally from Prayagraj, is portraying the role of Lord Ram at the renowned Katra Ramlila. He is among more than 20 artists with roots in Prayagraj who are performing various characters in different Ramlila committees, including Katra, Pajawa, and Patharchatti, this year. Satyam, who has worked on several OTT platforms and serials, has played the role of Lord Ram in Katra Ramlila more than four times. "We feel satisfaction when we work in our city, and our hard work and calibre are being recognized," he said. Rati Srivastava, another Prayagraj-based artist who has worked in numerous Bhojpuri movies and serials, will be performing the role of Kaikai in the century-old Patharchatti Ramlila this year. Many artists from Prayagraj working in TV serials, OTT platforms, and other channels consider city-based Ramlila as the best platform to excel and polish their skills on stage, even after moving to Mumbai. They value the opportunity to perform in the city where they grew up and completed their studies, maintaining strong connections with different Ramlilas.An artist from Prayagraj, who learned various dance forms at the Prayag Sangeet Samiti, emphasizes the connection they share with their hometown, stating: "Apart from my schooling and higher education, I learnt different dance forms here. We all artists from the city maintain our bonds with the city." The artists, hailing from Jhunsi, Allahapur, Mutthiganj, Naini, and other parts of Prayagraj, fondly remember their training days, where they participated in several theatres, shows, and plays. The appeal of the Ramlilas brings these artists back from Mumbai every year.Satyam Tiwari, portraying the role of demon king Ravan in Katra Ramlila, said: "Even after moving to Mumbai to make career in acting, we never forget our roots. I am associated with Katra Ramlila since long and desire to work in Ramlila whenever it is organised." Dharmendra Kumar, convenor of Patharchatti Ramlila committee said: "We have a dedicated team of artists who not only perform different characters in web series and TV serials in Mumbai but also do justice to their roles in the Ramlila." In addition to artists with roots in Prayagraj, several Mumbai-based actors, including Abhay Bakshi, Girish Thapar, and Arjun Giri, are set to play the roles of Meghnath, Vibhishan, and Dashrath respectively in Patharchatti Ramlila this year.
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