The Theatre of Ramlila and the Radheshyam Ramayan

A study of five Ramlilas in Rohilkhand, tracing their shift from traditional spaces to modern stages, exploring local histories, staging practices, and practitioners’ perspectives to show how Ramlila remains a dynamic theatrical form amid changing media and professionalization.

Continuing the narrative from the author''s previous book, The Radheshyam Ramayan in Text and Performance (2025), this book gives a brief general history of Ramlila, and delves into the local histories and staging practices of five Ramlilas in Rohilkhand, Radheshyam Kathavachak''s homeland. It explains how modernizing processes brought Ramlilas from temple courtyards and unbounded fields onto outdoor proscenium stages, reflecting major stylistic and ontological shifts. It considers Ramlila primarily as a form of contemporary theatre, not as an embodied expression of classical theory or as religious ritual alone. It does not tell the story of Ramlila “from above,” but rather on the ground as explained and performed by its everyday practitioners. Based on the author''s observations and interviews over seven Ramlila cycles, The Theatre of Ramlila and the Radheshyam Ramayan illustrates that Ramlila is still a vibrant medium in our media-saturated age, and that Ramlila Grounds are increasingly open to a wider set of actors and organizers, even as professional troupes continue to gain ground over amateur teams.