For nearly seven decades, the story of Lord Ram has found expression through dance, music and theatre at Shri Ram Bharatiya Kala Kendra’s SHRI RAM.Considered among India’s leading dance dramas based on the Ramayana, the annual production has become a fixture of Delhi’s festive calendar, drawing audiences back to the epic year after year. As it returns for its 69th edition this Diwali season, the production will also revisit its traditional form after nearly 25 years.The annual spectacle will be staged from October 11 to November 1 at the Kendra’s Open Air Theatre on Copernicus Marg, culminating in Ram Rajya.For Rajkumar Sharma, who has portrayed Lord Ram for 30 years, the role is more than a performance. It is an opportunity to embody the ideals of Maryada Purushottam — righteousness, restraint and duty. “Ravan is easy to find in every corner of the world, but finding someone who embodies Ram’s ideals is much harder,” he says, hoping every household has a Ram, Sita and Lakshman.Sharma’s journey began as a young Bharatanatyam student at the Kendra. Though he initially wanted to learn ballet, chairperson Padma Shri Shobha Deepak Singh saw him as Ram even before he had watched the production. “Oh, Ram material!” she told him. He began with group dances, played Bharat and eventually took on Ram. Keen to bring a distinct movement style to the role, he later trained in Kalaripayattu, the traditional martial art of Kerala, with the Kendra’s support.Over the years, audience reactions have become some of his most cherished memories. During intervals, people approach him to bow, embrace him or become emotional at seeing Ram before them. His 95-year-old mother sometimes hugs him after performances, while audiences who watched him as children now return with their own families. Sharma hopes to continue playing Ram for as long as he has divine grace.SVRFor Anushka Chaudhary, who has played Mata Sita for around seven years, every performance feels new and brings a sense of strength. The role requires her to temper her naturally jovial personality with Sita’s grace, patience and gentleness. The Lakshman Rekha sequence is particularly challenging, as she must convey Sita’s vulnerability and isolation. She says Singh introduces changes and new scenes each year, keeping the production fresh.Vishal Nirman, a repertory artiste who has spent 11 years at the Kendra, plays Dasharath and Hanuman this year, taking on the latter role for the first time. His repertoire has included Ram, Ravan, Parshuram and Meghnath. He recalls playing Ram for the first time in 2023 as a defining moment and hopes to reprise the role.As SHRI RAM returns to its traditional form, its legacy rests on the artists who bring the epic to life and the audiences who return to experience it, year after year.