When Ramleela troupe from Ayodhya portrayed Ravana as scholar, expert

Chennai: A Ramleela troupe from Ayodhya presenting a dramatized version of the epic Ramayana, did not exactly set the Cooum on fire in Chennai, but surprised the audience with its positive portrayal of Lanka King Ravana as a consummate vedic scholar and an expert in Niti Shastra, morality.

Ganesh Jha with his thundering voice and full throated laughter filled the role of Ravana to the hilt at the Dharmaprakash, a local hall lent out for cultural events. Ironic ally, at age six, he also essayed the role of 'Bal Ram' as a child and later as the youthful prince, son of Raja Dashrath and Ayodhya King Ram before advancing years pushed him to play Ravana, often painted in black and white as a character that does not do justice to his multi-layered personality.

"After playing the 'Nayak', the protagonist Ram before audiences at home for more than 30 years, it was a demotion of sorts to act as the 'Khal Nayak', Ravana, but it was perhaps the grace of the Lanka Maharaja that took me to diverse countries like West Indies, Surinam, Curaco, United States and Holland in 2012," the balding actor told TOI with a chuckle. "I do feel that as Ravan, I have delivered more powerful dialogues than Ram on stage and the costumes have been as grand as any worn by either Ram or Lakshman," he said.

Whether it is 'Ramcharitmanas' composed in Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi, by 16th century Bhakti poet Goswami Tulsidas on the basis of which the Ramleela is performed by the troupe or the ancient Valmiki Ramayan, Kambhan Ramayan more popular in Tamil Nadu, the Ramayan written in diverse Indian languages or 'Ramkien', an adaptation of the epic in Thialand, Ravana is presented as a capable and virtuous ruler, said Baba Rabindradas who led the 20-member troupe.

"I am happy that some Muslim brethren with a cultural connect to Ramleela as they also hail from UP besides a local AIADMK leader came to the Ramleela set as much in Ayodhya as Rameshwaram on the tip of Tamil Nadu, " said the organizer Ramakant Dubey.