Hanuman of to a flying start

Talk of tradition going hi-tech. At a time when children identify more with Harry Potter than Hanuman, Ramlila committees in the city are pulling out all stops to keep the crowds coming in during the annual festival. For instance, the Shri Dharmik Ramlila Committee Subhash Maidan is all set to show off its Hanuman, Jatayu and other characters flying across the stage. And even if its efforts are not as slick as one sees on celluloid, the children, who form a bulk of the audience, are bound to lap it up. ‘‘It is a special attraction for children. Various characters like Jatayu and Hanuman will fly above the stage with the help of strings and wires. We have also tried to keep the mood light and funny. The scene where Hanuman sets Lanka on fire is also being showcased in a slightly different way this year with the help of a sound and light show,” said director Pradeep Kumar Sharma. “It is very important for an actor to project something new and interesting for the audience,” said actor Kaushal Mishra, who plays Hanuman. “Mine is the character which people enjoying looking at. That’s why we have chosen this character to experiment with special effects on, including showing him flying in the sky. As compared to other days, the crowd on Monday was much more. As it was mentioned on the invitation cards, many people especially came to see the flying Hanuman,” he added. Twelve-year-old Akhil, who came with his parents from Gurgaon, said, ‘‘It is fun coming to see Ramlila every year. I chose a day when a specific chapter of Ramayana is enacted which is of interest to me. I enjoyed looking at Hanuman when he was just above the stage and was challenging the people of Lanka. The dialogues were very easy to understand. I also enjoyed the light show when Hanuman sets Lanka on fire.”